


Forged With Blood, Forged With Fire

by agentsimmons



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers Tower, Bruce & Hulk Interaction, Canon Divergence - Post-Avengers (2012), Canon-Typical Violence, Changing Tenses, Comic Book Science, Drama & Romance, Established Relationship, Extremis Tony Stark, F/M, Fake Science, Happy Ending, Hopeful Ending, Hulk Feels, Hulk Talks, M/M, Medical Experimentation, Medical Inaccuracies, Medical Trauma, No Arc Reactor, Not Beta Read, Not Canon Compliant, POV Alternating, Past Child Abuse, Past Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Post-Avengers (2012), Protective Avengers, Protective Hulk, Science Boyfriends, Strike Team Delta, Team Bonding, Team Dynamics, Team Feels, Teambuilding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-27
Updated: 2016-08-26
Packaged: 2018-05-04 11:17:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 91,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5332205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/agentsimmons/pseuds/agentsimmons
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Bruce looks over Tony's blood work he notices an anomaly that sets them both on a search for answers and shows them just how much they mean to one another in the process. But when the truth finally becomes clear, it's only the start of more obstacles and changes to come as they each find themselves facing new enemies and old.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Tainted

**Author's Note:**

> This is a fic based on an idea I had ages and ages ago and only finally started writing in September (2015) or so. 
> 
> Characters and concepts from the MCU will show up, but not in canonically compliant ways. 
> 
> While I still suck at sexual stuff, this fic has a lot of sexual undertone as a plot device – especially Chapter 1. Sorry that those parts might suck, but it's a means to an end for the plot bunny that possessed me with this fic in the first place. Hopefully it's not so awful it's distracting. (More about this in End Notes for Chapter 1.)
> 
> Although I did research a bit to give a semi-plausible comic book science/medical explanation for things, I fail at medicine and nothing in this should be taken as true to life. Like I know for sure Bruce wouldn't be legally allowed to do Tony's blood work, but the man was also administering medicine (?) in third world countries so I'm sticking with my hand-wavy logic fail.

Heels click against the slab floors of Bruce's lab. He doesn't need to look up from his microscope to know who it is. Only two other people have access without needing verification from him via JARVIS to open the door. So unless Tony has suddenly taken up wearing heels – well, other than those lifted dress shoes that make him a dubious 5'10'' when his Napoleon complex gets a little out of hand – then he knows the unexpected visitor is Pepper. Of course, that doesn't mean that Tony isn't involved somehow. As a CEO she really has better things to do than pay a social call to a nuclear physicist.

When the sounds of her steps go silent he looks up and smiles at her. "Good…" he glances at a clock on a nearby wall, "…afternoon, Pepper."

"Good afternoon, Dr. Banner," she addresses him formally and the tight drawn line of her lip doesn't waver. "Where is he hiding?" She then looks around.

Bruce removes his glasses, tucking them into his lab coat, before turning around and looking as well. He immediately realizes this is slightly ridiculous as he's been in the lab since breakfast and hasn't seen his genius boyfriend. Then again, he almost believes that if Pepper glares hard enough Tony will magically materialize from thin air like he's been there the whole time so he looks around just the same. He probably needs to break for lunch or coffee or sleep, maybe all three.

"I haven't seen him since breakfast," he says when his brain finally catches up to him and he realizes no matter how hard Pepper glares, Tony isn't—

A sound from the supply closet interrupts that thought and his eyes widen as Pepper's narrow. "You were saying?"

He sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose as he holds up a finger to signify for her to give him a moment. Then he walks over to the large supply closet and finds Tony casually sweeping up a beaker he'd dropped.

"Oh, hey, babe. I was just, uh," Tony's genius brain stutters for a half of a second before he continues, "organizing your supplies for you. Surprise! Aren't I the bes- ow!" Bruce cuts off his excuse by grabbing at his sleeve near the shoulder and dragging him out into the open lab. "Hey now. This is not the kind of manhandling I appreciate."

Bruce just rolls his eyes. On another occasion he might snort in amusement at that because, honestly, there's not a lot Tony _doesn't_ appreciate. When it comes to his libido and what he's willing to give and receive, versatility and flexibility doesn't even begin to cover it. However, the man is clearly avoiding something and trying to lie about it, so he's not in a mood to be amused.

Clearly neither is Pepper as she stands there with arms crossed in a stance that is very signature for her, or at least it seems to be when she's dealing with Tony. When he let's go of Tony's shirt and, without thinking, moves his arms into a crossed position not wholly unlike Pepper's Bruce has a sudden moment of clarity and dread. He can't recall if he's always been an arm-crosser at the moment so either Tony has a type – and he really doesn't need to run through a Venn Diagram of his and Pepper's similarities at the moment, no thanks – or else side effects of dating or having dated Tony Stark include arms crossed and exasperated frown. He makes a quick mental note to study Colonel Rhodes' body language the next time he's around and annoyed with Tony to test the theory that maybe it's just the side effect of getting close to Tony period; it's an exclusive club after all.

"Are you going to explain?" Bruce finally asks, because the entire time he was running random data points in his head about folded arms, the other man had yet to speak up. He also maybe lets his arms fall back down to his sides on purpose.

"Well, I… You know—And so… Uh, yeah, I think that covers it," Tony says with a nod.

Bruce picks his battles and has enough self-awareness to know there are still some Starkisms that he has yet to master. So he turns to Pepper and raises an eyebrow. "Translation?"

"He had a physical appointment this morning. Only, his secretary got a call from the nurse saying he never showed up," she explains. Bruce furrows his brow and opens his mouth to respond, but she holds up her hand to indicate she hasn't finished. "It's his _third one_." Bruce pulls back his head slightly on his shoulders and then looks at Tony with a questioning expression. Tony very pointedly does not meet his gaze or Pepper's. "Not only is it his third missed physical, he _knows_ that if he doesn't have the results submitted in the next twenty-four hours, the board can file an injunction just to spite him." Bruce gives her a strange look at that and she elaborates with a sigh, "He also refused to get the mandatory HRA done and the Board is concerned he's hiding something."

"You didn't complete it?" Bruce transfers the strange look to Tony. If he had known Tony was avoiding it, he would have tried to help him before it turned into this situation.

"No, but I'm not hiding anything," Tony clips.

"That's not the point," Pepper clips back.

"I am well within my rights to refuse. They can't force me to get a physical."

"They wouldn't have had to if you had just completed the stupid questionnaire, Tony," she says in frustration.

"Tony, do we need to talk about this?" Bruce asks in concern.

"No. No, we don't need to talk about this. I think it's perfectly clear. I don't like doctors. That's the end of it really." He waves a hand and spins on his heels to look at just about anything he can in the room.

Bruce does snort this time. "Um, then what's with your random urges for our doctor roleplaying?" He points as he asks.

After nearly six months of dating the man, he's given up any attempt to be shy about their sex life in front of Pepper. She'd assured him time and time again early on that knowing details about Tony's sex life was basically part of her job description long before she'd decided to give it a go herself and that, frankly, she'd rather hear about their exploits than if Tony were back to his one and done school of thought. Honestly, he's given up any pretense of trying to understand the strange friendship that exists between the three of them in general. He doesn't mind it though; so long as Tony never gets some brilliant idea to suggest a foursome between the two of them and Pepper and Phil that is. He has his limits.

"You, Dr. Banner, are the only exception," Tony says very seriously in that way of his, tone warm and genuine enough to let him know it's true even if a bit bizarre.

"Don't let Doom hear you say that," Bruce deadpans. "But you have to admit it's weird if you don't like medical doctors."

"Maybe that's why it does it for me a little bit so long as it's you," Tony says with a shrug. Bruce can understand that, but now isn't the time to get into Freudian-inspired kinks. "Which, you know, Bruce, you really should just get your MD already. Add it to the pile."

Bruce glances at Pepper as she rolls her eyes just as much as he wants to right now; he refrains, but barely. "Tony, I'm not becoming a practitioner of medicine just because you have issues you never worked through. You know I hate doctors too, but…"

"All the more reason to become one. I'll seriously buy you your own clinic, here by the way and most definitely not in India, and you can hire a bunch of nurses and we'll never have any problems again." Tony says it so casually that Bruce has to wonder how long he's wanted to suggest the idea. He also holds back another eye roll at Tony's flippant regard of people in India who need doctors.

"Right. And Miss America's wish for world peace will finally come true," he replies, shaking his head, and decides to return to his microscope.

"Tony, this is serious," Pepper finally speaks up again. "Do you want an injunction? You know the Board would just love a reason now that you're—"

"Reportedly seeing a man?" Bruce asks with a knowing raise of an eyebrow as he settles his glasses back onto his face. _Not to mention a man who turns into a monster_ , he decidedly doesn't add.

"A little," she doesn't mince words. "But also because of the whole SHIELD thing and wanting to convert Stark Tower into a base of operations for the Avengers Initiative." Bruce just hums in understanding at that. Then he notices the calculating look in Pepper's eyes. "What if Phil gets a SHIELD doctor to come by to our emergency clinic and do the physical? Would you be more comfortable with that?"

Tony chatters his teeth in consideration. "On one condition. Bruce is allowed to assist and only he is allowed to touch me with any of the pointy things." Tony offers in compromise.

Bruce simply shrugs as Pepper sighs. "I'll call Phil and see what I can do." She pulls out her cell as she leaves them.

When she's gone, Bruce looks over at Tony with renewed concern. He looks uneasy to say the least. "We should probably talk about this eventually," Bruce says calmly. "You know I understand right? I get the whole medical trauma thing. And I definitely get the apprehension when it comes to needles," he adds, an involuntary shiver going down his spine as if an unnecessary reminder.

"Damn, I didn't think of that," Tony says suddenly. "Being there with me won't be a problem will it? Because I can—"

Bruce holds up his hand and shakes his head before moving to stand in front of his boyfriend. "It's fine. For you, it's fine."

"Are you sure, Bruce?" Tony's concern for him immediately softens the engineer's eyes and Tony's hands come up to rest on his shoulders. "You really don't have to do this for me."

Bruce smiles thinly, but it's genuine. "This might surprise you, Mr. Stark, since heaven knows it surprises me, but I kind of care about you just a little bit. If my being there helps you, that's what matters."

"You spoil me, you know that?" Tony asks teasingly, but Bruce can practically feel his relief.

Bruce's smile widens as he makes a show of looking around the personal lab Tony had commissioned for him two weeks before they'd even decided to take a chance on the whirlpool of chemistry they had fallen headlong into the moment they'd met. "Must be your influence," he replies, looking back at Tony.

"Well, you know I like to hear that." Tony chuckles softly and leans in to kiss him. "Think we have time for a pre-examination, Doctor?" Tony asks when he moves his lips to Bruce's jaw.

_Sirs, Ms. Potts says that a SHIELD doctor will arrive from HQ in approximately twenty minutes._

Tony groans. "Looks like you'll have to settle for a thorough follow-up instead," Bruce teases him shamelessly.

He ponders for a moment how long it's been since he's ever allowed himself to be a little shameless and realizes immediately that it really is Tony's influence. He tries to push aside the thoughts that say it's a bad influence.

***

A few things enter Coulson's mind when he leaves the SHIELD doctor to run through the necessary security clearance in order to go on ahead to the Stark Tower medical emergency clinic.

On the one hand, he should suggest to Pepper that they hire an actual staff of a physician with registered nurses rather than just emergency responders; it might even solve Stark's problem if he has an in-house doctor he can trust - besides Banner of course. Or he might suggest to Stark that he house a SHIELD medic team since he's converting a portion of the tower to be a home base.

On the other hand, Stark and Banner are fooling themselves if they really think nobody has put two and two together and come up with the conclusion that the physicist is the mystery man that the engineer has cajoled into a few dates outside of the tower in the past two months – thus resulting in obscure photos. Maybe the common public doesn't get it, but he's pretty sure most SHIELD and SI employees are smarter than the common public. Of course, he also has the distinct feeling Stark would shout it to the presses proudly if not for Banner's understandable hesitance.

Of course, when he comes into the designated room they're waiting in, opening the door without their even hearing it, and finds them making out on the examination table he makes a mental note that Dr. Banner definitely seems to be coming around if he's taken to this kind of risky fraternizing. Unlike some others at the water cooler, Coulson is glad that Banner isn't doing the evasive, self-denial thing anymore and not just because it was hell to keep up with him sometimes. Then again he's been a little sappy since waking up from near-death and finding out his attraction to the wonderful Pepper Potts hadn't been one sided after all.

Not to say he's sappy enough to wait for the two men to come up for air, which he knows firsthand from his time spent at the tower is just short of never, so he clears his throat and quietly applauds himself for keeping his face entirely impassive when Banner gives a muffled baritone squeak as he startles.

He watches them pull away and go to stand away from the table. "Dr. Banner. Stark." He says it evenly, because he's good at his job.

"Not Dead Agent," Stark replies breezily as he reaches over to help Banner fix his shirt only to have his hand playfully swatted away.

"I liked it better when I was just Agent," he replies in earnest.

"And I liked it better when I could trust Fury," Stark fires back, clearly without any logic in his quip.

"I wasn't aware you ever did," Banner replies with a crinkle of his nose as he combs his fingers through his mussed hair.

"Hey, I'm an optimist. Would have been nice to have my suspicions proven wrong," Stark counters and Banner snorts as if to say _Sure_.

"Look, Stark. Lying for the greater good is an occupational hazard. Tell me, has JARVIS found any interesting new reading material since you removed your decryption program from our system?" He asks it with a friendly smile.

Banner chuckles softly under his breath and there's a three second lull where apparently Stark, glancing sidelong at the physicist, knows he's been caught in his own trap before choosing to ignore the fact that he's now hanging upside down in order to push ahead as though he's still in control of the situation. Maybe in a weird way he is.

"The orgy in Uzbekistan was interesting. Still trying to figure out what happened in Budapest though."

"That's a lost cause, Mr. Stark. Speaking of Agents Romanoff and Barton, they're due for extraction in a few weeks. Do you think you'll have space for them by then?"

"Sure," Tony says with the flap of a hand. "Most of the floors are complete. I can speed up the finishing touches for their space… spaces?... with a monetary incentive."

"One space," he confirms, but clarifies, "with two individualized rooms."

Stark raises his eyebrow at that and looks at Banner to see his reaction. "Cohabitation," the physicist explains. "Whether or not they're sleeping together isn't the point. Even if they aren't, being in the same space makes them feel more secure. Even if they are, they probably both need privacy from time to time given their histories."

"I think he's smarter than you," Coulson says to Stark.

A little to his surprise, Stark smiles fondly at Banner and nods. "Yeah, sometimes I have my suspicions. He won't take an IQ test though."

Banner glares at the engineer for that, but there's no heat in it. "I've told you, I don't want to know."

Stark just shakes his head. "And I've told _you_ I don't need to know to know. With or without it, you're brilliant."

Coulson smiles a little at the scene, Stark and Banner just sort of lost in each other's gaze for a moment, and he's both glad that Tony Stark has finally found someone he really connects with and cares for and that, to his own fortune, that someone isn't Pepper Potts. His smile falls back into a schooled line when he senses the presence behind him and moves to let the SHIELD doctor come in, shutting the door behind her as she does. He turns back to see Dr. Banner looking a little nervous, no doubt wondering if the doctor saw the little brush of lips that his and Stark's prolonged eye contact had melted into.

"Don't worry. Patient confidentiality," she answers that unspoken question. "I have no interest whatsoever."

"And by that she means all medical staff are barred from fraternization betting pools," he adds knowingly. "As are the S.O.s of parties in question."

"Wait, people are betting on me and Tony?"

"How elaborate are the betting pools?"

He laughs at their two very different responses to the information. "Yes, Dr. Banner, they are. And they are very elaborate. There's the general tier of will they or won't they. Then from there, you can wager in categories such as already together at start of betting pool or still clueless, dating or friends with benefits, before or after the _announced_ break up with Pepper." He emphasizes the word as there had been some space for them to adjust before announcing it. "There's even specific time frame for the overly zealous gamblers."

"Oh my god," Banner intones, eyes wide while beside him the other half of the couple being bet on is smiling like the Cheshire cat.

"Out of curiosity, since I'm assuming you know these things," Stark narrows his eyes at him, "which of our astute little boy band, if any, won the time frame bet? Did anyone guess within the three week window?"

"Loaded question," he answers while the SHIELD physician gestures for Stark to sit down on the examination table. He doesn't miss the way the doctor gives a studious glance to the wrinkled and slightly ripped paper the two geniuses hadn't taken into consideration. "Depends on how elaborately they bet," he returns to the topic. "Two bet within the three week window so technically there's that. Another bet six weeks, but friends with benefits before the break up. Of the two that bet within the three week window, one bet friends with benefits, also before break up – which by the way, I'm glad you didn't do that to Pepper. So that leaves the other one – and technically they're the most accurate overall statistically if you don't count before or after break up since they didn't vote in that category. They bet will get together, already together, within the three week window, and dating rather than friends with benefits."

He sees the look both men give each other as the doctor takes Stark's blood pressure. "Seriously?" Banner asks finally. "But doesn't betting on dating make it more likely to be after the break up? Logically why wouldn't they just bet across the board and take their chances it wasn't some open arrangement?"

"I know," he says with a nod. "But they didn't. They're still the best and if there was an overall pot at this point, they'd win."

"It's Natasha," Tony says when he's free to talk again. "Gotta be. She's scary good."

"I'm not at liberty to confirm or deny that," he says with no small sense of satisfaction because knowing something Stark doesn't is always fun. "Now, Dr. Banner, you'll be doing the lab work for the blood, yes? Or will we need to take that with us back to the lab at SHIELD? We can and I can have it sent over to Pepper as soon as it's done, but I seem to recall you had formal training in—"

"Yes, I have training in medical chemistry, pathology, radiology, microbiology and stop looking at me like that, Tony. I'm not taking an IQ test."

Phil laughs and keeps the secret to himself that SHIELD has an algorithm that has already estimated his IQ within 10 points of accuracy. He looks between the two men and thinks for a few different reasons, _if only you knew_.

***

Tony enters Bruce's lab and shakes his head fondly at the scientist. Bruce is seated in front of a large monitor and pouring over data, pencil held toward the screen every now and then before dropping back down to a notepad. He loves to watch him like this. He had never thought he would fall hard for anyone, let alone a man so brilliant he may be even more brilliant than himself. And when it's like this, him just watching the physicist get lost in the data, pulling a little absentmindedly at his hair, Tony realizes how dangerously close to hitting the ocean and drowning in Bruce he actually is.

He tends to think about attraction and emotions with his body and not his heart or even his brain when he can help it, but even he thinks he has a pretty good understanding about how the principle of falling in love works. So he's pretty sure he is. He has a pretty good idea that it's been a free fall from the moment his eyes went straight to Bruce Banner's Initiative file.

It doesn't scare him any less though when he thinks about how absolutely awful the metaphor of drowning really is. Comparing love to a horrifying death, the kind that haunts his nightmares, is a pretty good reason not to let it happen. But as Bruce tilts his head a little to the side, still looking at the monitor and makes a quiet hum before writing something new down, it doesn't only stir Tony's body, it stirs that tattered box that beats in his chest. So he can't keep himself from thinking he has just as good of a reason to let it happen.

"What brilliance has you working late?" He asks, finally moving over to him and resting both hands on Bruce's shoulders. He feels him tense minutely beneath him, but ignores it; Bruce still isn't always used to being touched without warning, especially not if it startles him. Instead he looks at the monitor, but his face scrunches when he sees his name up in the right hand corner of the data. "Wait, is this...? Why are you still looking at that?" Bruce doesn't answer. "I've gotta say, Dr. Banner, if this is some kind of intense foreplay..." He pauses, considering it. "Yeah. It's working for me." He cranes his head down then, lowering his voice. "When were you going to let me join in, hmm?"

"Not..." He feels Bruce go tense again and not in the good way. Concern immediately floods his senses. "Not now, Tony. We... No, can't."

He's especially worried now. Bruce stammering incoherently in self-denial only happens when the man truly believes something isn't okay. He would be worried that Bruce is suddenly turning him away – and it would figure since he was thinking seriously about the L word again – but right before he can panic he realizes that this turn of events coincides with Bruce studying _his_ _blood work_ so a new kind of panic sets in.

"Bruce?" He swivels the chair against Bruce's consent and looks worriedly at him. "What's going on here?"

Bruce looks back at the monitor and then back up at him, eyes brokenly apologetic. "I... I think I'm poisoning you."

Tony isn't sure how long he stands there just blinking at him before he finally replies. "Okay, you've stopped speaking English. That doesn't make any sense."

"Tony, your blood... It's... It's not normal," Bruce says worriedly, shaking his head as he turns back to the monitor. "I noticed the abnormalities and when I looked closer at a sample, it looks like there's a mutation."

"And your first conclusion is to blame yourself for something wrong with me?" He holds on to incredulity. He's going to ignore his own worry at the moment and make Bruce work to convince him.

"Makes sense," Bruce says in an already defeated tone, sighing as he does, so Tony spins the chair back around again.

"No, no, actually it doesn't," he says emphatically. "We already ran the tests and then reran them three times."

Tony almost laughs as he remembers it.

After their first, second, and third amazing kisses the physicist had freaked out and told Tony his concern about his bodily fluids; he'd tried to push him away no matter how much he said he didn't want to. Of course, Tony wouldn't be deterred without knowing for sure. So the first few weeks of their relationship were spent doing the actual normal adult dating thing (with a good deal of helpful tips from Pepper on how to do that where Tony was concerned), getting to know each other rather than just jumping into bed. Well, 'normal adult dating thing' if you counted the fact they were also two scientists who, in their spare time, were running analysis to prove or disprove their ability to safely jump into bed together, but to be fair it was a new level of normal for Tony and a credit to the level of interest he had in Bruce.

Of course, Tony doesn't laugh. It's not worth laughing over at the moment. Instead, he takes Bruce's prolonged silence as a chance to beat the nail a little harder since sometimes they both need that.

"There's not enough radiation in your semen to hurt me. If we were talking what your sperm would do in genetic reproduction, I'd agree with you, but we both know that's not a problem here. And I'd have to suck your face every minute of every day for the next 20 years before I'd even begin to see any effect. Which, no offense, isn't conducive to all the other minutes we spend doing science, saving the world, and, hell, just being domestic," he tacks on at the end, hoping to get a small smile from the man and smiling when it works. "And frankly I love kissing you so I'm okay with that risk being a thing of the distant future okay?"

Bruce creases his brow and the smile falls away as if it hadn't been there. "Then how do you explain the mutation, Tony? Are you a mutant all of a sudden?"

He scoffs. "Xavier can't afford me."

"Be serious, Tony," Bruce pleads. "Try to look at it from my point of view. Something is going on with your blood down to a molecular level and I've been running through a list of diseases I know and coming up short with a match. I'm a walking gamma bomb so why shouldn't I think it's my fault? I'm afraid, Tony. What if this isn't a distant future thing like we thought?"

Tony finally gives in and looks over at the screen. He doesn't want to believe this has anything to do with Bruce. They ran the tests and he trusts that those tests were right. But more than that, he doesn't want Bruce to believe it either. He doesn't want Bruce to have a reason to run or push him away. He knows he's in deep because that possibility actually stings worse now than it did when Bruce was considering whether or not to risk being with him. So he has to make sure that doesn't happen. He doesn't want to lose Bruce.

"We'll start running some extensive tests and study the different theories in the morning. We'll figure this out together," he says reassuringly. "But right now I think you need sleep. You'll just get more anxious if you don't, and we both know you hate that. So come on, let's go to bed."

He isn't surprised when Bruce protests. "I just... Tony, until we know for sure... I'm sorry, I can't let us take that chance."

Tony ignores him and pulls him up into an embrace. "Okay, so we take a timeout on that." He pulls away then and looks Bruce squarely in his startled eyes. "This might surprise you, Dr. Banner, since heaven knows it surprises me, but I'm not with you just because the sex is good." A ghost of a smile appears on Bruce's face at the echoed sentiment. "But hell if I let you sleep somewhere other than _our_ bed, got it? Being close to you is not going to hurt me." He sees the look in Bruce's eyes and he knows what Bruce is thinking, but it's the truth. He's never once felt that being close to Bruce, in either of his forms, is going to hurt him.

***

When Bruce wakes up in the morning with arms and legs tangled with Tony's and a desire to burrow deeper against him until they're impossibly close, he realizes just how spoiled he's actually become in such a short amount of time for reasons that have nothing to do with a spacious lab or supposed SHIELD protection from General Ross. Logical thoughts about how none of this has been a good idea from the start, how he should run, how he doesn't deserve the closeness of another person who actually cares about him, how he's just fooling himself if he actually believes his life can be good for a change enter his mind, but Tony's warmth burns them up before they can settle in. The rise and fall of Tony's smooth chest against his hairy one, the way their arms settle around each other like it's the most natural thing in the world, the way they seem to fit almost seamlessly together like a puzzle no matter how cliché the simile is – it all makes him feel safe in a way that he's only had fleeting moments of before and he thinks there's a pretty good chance that for reasons he doesn't understand, Tony feels safe like this too.

He's spoiled now and it scares him. It scares him that chemical attraction and mental synchronicity and touch-starvation has been nothing but a cover for what has really been going on between them, or at least on his side of things. It scares him that he still believes he can't have what he wants, but it also scares him that for once he doesn't know if he can make the right decision and give it all up. He selfishly wants to keep Tony for as long as he can even though he knows it'll just hurt worse when it inevitably falls apart. He let Betty go, but he doesn't know if he could do the same for Tony. Maybe Tony wouldn't even let him. Maybe he'd chase him to the ends of the Earth. Maybe that's what makes Tony different.

But Tony can't chase him if he poisons the stubborn engineer before that can happen. He's willing to trust Tony and not jump to conclusions, but it scares him what will happen if his initial fear is the right one. He won't stick around and kill him however slowly it might take. And no matter what Tony says about taking a timeout, he's not foolish enough to think Tony would be okay if sex was entirely off the table. Tony has the stamina and drive of a much younger man and Bruce knows he's not secure enough to trust Tony not to drift away if he were to go find his satisfaction elsewhere.

All of these thoughts scare him and mess with his resolve of what to do and what not to do until all he's left with for certain is how he wants to move impossibly closer still until there's nothing left of himself that isn't also Tony. It's selfish and painful and dangerous and maybe even a little distorted, but it's a blinding need.

As if Tony can sense his need in his waking consciousness, Bruce feels himself pulled closer, Tony tightening his hold of him. It's enough to do him in. He falls apart, shuddering against his unexpected lover as the emotion of what this has turned into breaks him in ways that the Other Guy never could. Even as he trembles, he holds on bitterly to the hope that if he doesn't name it, the universe won't know and won't take it away from him this time.

"What do you need?" Tony asks, voice gruff from sleep, but still with genuine concern in his tone.

"You to be okay," he answers sadly. It's the only answer that he can give. It's the only thing he needs.

A hand finds his hair as Tony replies, "I was already not okay before you came along, Bruce. If anything I think you make me more okay than I've ever been." Tony's voice is still low and semi-conscious, but the depth of it is overwhelming. "Anything else you need right now? Do you need to just lay here? Are you anxious to get back to the lab? Do we need to go somewhere and take your mind off of it? Whatever it is, just tell me."

Bruce doesn't answer right away. He's anxious to get back to the lab and figure it out, but also anxious not to know yet. He wants to lay in bed with Tony longer and just pretend like it's any other morning, but the rightness of how it feels is still overwhelming.

"Maybe just this a little longer," he says, giving in to the rightness, settling closer so his head can nestle into the crook of Tony's neck. "Then maybe we can get some breakfast downstairs before we get started in the lab," he adds with a small yawn, his body calming just enough.

Tony answers with a simple agreement to the idea before they settle back in for a lazy lounge in each other's arms and Bruce lets himself be spoiled a little longer. Should the other shoe drop, he wants every moment like this he can get no matter if it's only going to make it harder in the end.

***

One thing about Stark Tower that he had insisted on during the planning stages with Pepper was a facility that could rival any dream job in terms of in-house convenience, luxury and amenities. So levels 2 through 5 look like a variable mall of sorts with contracted-in convenient stores and eating places, both fast food and some pricier sit down restaurants. They are open to the public, connected by escalators and elevators designated solely for this part of the tower, as well as the Stark Industries museum on level 1. There is a commissary on level 10 for those employees who don't wish to eat with the general public, since everything after the security department on level 6 is clearance only.

Tony had expected the commissary would be where Bruce would suggest, so he's thoroughly pleased to be sitting across from him in the Denny's on level 4 – especially after the emotional night before and morning the physicist had clearly had. He wants to take it as a hopeful sign. He wants it to mean that he's not the only one in a little deep here. He selfishly wants Bruce's wanting him to be okay to mean that Bruce doesn't want to leave. He selfishly wants Bruce choosing a public place where anyone might see them and speculate more to mean he's finally being defiant against his internalized fears and maybe, just maybe choosing to stick it out.

"It'll be a little weird when Clint and Natasha actually move in," Bruce says, breaking him from his thoughts.

He sighs dramatically. "Yeah, the honeymoon is almost over." Bruce snorts in amusement and he smiles. "What? I’m serious. They'll be worse than children. I'm not ready to be a parent."

Bruce laughs more outright this time. "I can't say I was under the impression you'd ever be ready for something like that."

He huffs, though mostly for show. "Why does everybody just assume I'm not good with kids? I'm great with kids."

Bruce raises an eyebrow over one rim of his glasses. "You mean other people's kids? Because you realize there's a world of difference between being good with somebody else's kid on occasion and having one to take care of all the time."

"Okay, so there's _that_. But the way I look at it, I have an even chance. Either I'm an awesome dad because my dad was awful so I know what not to do. Or I fail miserably because my father was awful."

"Did you spike your coffee?" Bruce asks, more suspicious than amused.

"No," he retorts. "A guy can't talk about kids over breakfast?"

"Well, it's a little uncomfortable when your boyfriend isn't sure how to read the conversation," Bruce admits with a shrug. "Maybe we should get through living with Clint and Natasha before we take the next step," he adds jokingly and once again Tony is reminded of how it's little moments like these that draws him to Bruce. It's the humor and the dance between serious and playful and the way they can discuss big things casually because emotions and normalcy is weird for both of them.

"Fair point." Tony nods and before anything else can be said, the waitress appears with their food.

"A four stack with a double side of sausage for you," she says, placing the two plates down in front of him. "And an omelet for you. If you need anything let me know," she says as she places down butter and syrup. "I'll be back to refill your coffee in a moment," she then says and leaves. He honestly doesn't register most of it.

"You okay?" Bruce asks him when he notices that he hasn't engulfed one of the sausage links already.

"Palladium," he mutters.

"Atomic number 46," Bruce says, sounding as though it's an involuntary reaction. "Sorry, force of habit," he confirms.

"It's attractive. Don't be sorry." Tony pauses long enough to give Bruce a teasing leer before moving on. "My first arc reactor was stabilized by palladium. It's all I had on hand, but—"

"Wait," Bruce's brow furrows and he can tell the physicist is already doing the science in his head. "Based on my limited understanding of the reactor…" Tony holds back an untimely scoff at Bruce's casual use of the word limited. He hadn't even had to show the man his specs for him to work out the basics. "Wouldn't the neutron bombardment erode the palladium?"

"Limited understanding," he scoffs finally. "Uh, yeah. Yeah it would. And did. For almost a year."

Bruce's eyebrows shoot up. "You're joking."

"Nope. So you see where I'm going with this right?"

"You think palladium in your bloodstream caused whatever it is I noticed yesterday?" Bruce guesses.

"Bingo," he confirms and then feels a surge of awe-inspired lust. "God, you're brilliant. You know that right?"

"You keep mentioning it."

"It definitely deserves repeating," he says as he reaches for the syrup to drown his pancakes in. "But, yes, that's exactly where I’m going with this."

"That's impossible though," Bruce counters, looking at his fork with a calculating expression. "You're saying the palladium made it to your bloodstream. But that means you should be dead already, Tony."

He grimaces, stuffs a healthy portion of pancakes into his mouth, and tilts his head from side to side. "I had maybe a week or so to live when I found a different element to power the electromagnet," he says when he swallows.

Bruce sets his fork down very carefully, takes a few breaths that Tony has come to recognize as him trying to calm himself, and then looks at him pointedly.

"And I'm so glad you didn't," he starts with a meaningful look. "But I don't think you're understanding me, Tony. First, I'm surprised you even lasted that long with the toxins in your bloodstream. But you can't just come close to dying from blood toxicity and have no side effects. But, you… You're perfectly healthy for a man your age, healthier even in some cases." Tony smirks, knowing what he means by that. "Your physical, your overall blood work… Tony, before noticing the blood mutation, that I'm assuming isn't something general lab practitioners would notice, I wouldn't have even guessed something was wrong. And I sure as hell would never have guessed you almost died from something like palladium."

Tony blinks hard at him, only barely registering the waitress in time to thank her for refilling his coffee. "What are you saying?" He thinks he knows, but it's a little fuzzy.

Bruce shakes his head, finally taking another bite of his omelet. "It's not what I'm saying. It's what I'm asking. Why aren't you dead? Where are the side effects? What the hell is going on here?"

"Well, Natasha stuck me with some dioxide something or other." He waves a hand at the specifics. "Took care of this palladium rash I had going on. Actually you've seen it yourself. Those little vein things around the reactor? Yeah, imagine that only, _mmm_ , all the way up my chest and neck like a very interesting tattoo. Stuff took the edge off long enough for me to figure it out and get better."

Bruce shakes his head again. "Lithium dioxide I'm assuming. Not a cure. Getting rid of a rash I can see. But, Tony, it wouldn't get rid of other things like… Well, there's retardation. That's a side effect of extreme chemical poisoning. Did you even lose any IQ points?"

"Well, Pepper and Natasha might have had opinions on that, but…" He realizes Bruce has a point and sighs. "No. Believe it or not, I keep a pretty good track of my IQ. I haven't lost any since Afghanistan. Not even the whole falling from space thing and nearly dying made a dent."

"I believe it," Bruce replies. "So something doesn't add up."

"And now you're starting to think it's not you after all?" Tony asks hopefully. Not that the prospect of other unknowns isn't concerning, he just wants to get past Bruce's theory once and for all.

"I… I don't know." Bruce takes a bite and Tony can tell he's thinking it through. "I'm not sure palladium would cause that kind of mutation. I'll have to study the mutation further and try and find some comparables. I'll… I'll need to compare it to my own blood maybe," he says with a sigh, color paling slightly. "We could be looking at two very different things here. We can't run the risk of assuming it's just one."

Tony nods. He doesn't like it, but he understands.

***

"I come bearing food," Pepper says when she comes into the penthouse and doesn't immediately see either Tony or Bruce. "Please tell me you're both fully clothed," she calls teasingly as she walks over to the table and starts pulling out the items.

"Is that Thai I smell? Please tell me it's Thai!" Tony's eager voice grows as he comes into the main living area and immediately zeroes in on the food.

She laughs. "Yeah, it's Thai. Where's your better half?"

"The suit is in the garage for repairs."

"Funny." It isn't really, but Tony has a way of making most things amusing.

"Uh, he's down in the lab finishing up some simulations. He'll probably be up soon. J, let Bruce know Pepper's here and she brought Thai."

"Well, I'm glad I didn't walk in on you making out like a couple of horny teenagers," she teases. "Phil told me."

"Please, Pepper. I'm a little sensitive right now about the making out topic since Bruce and I are kind of on a time out and—"

"Oh my god!" She nearly drops the plate of food she's fixing. "You two…? What happened? What did you do, Tony?"

"Jeez, no. No, Pep. That's not…" He sighs and she blinks at him. "We're not on that kind of time out. You would know because I'd probably be wasted by now. We're just not exchanging bodily fluids at the moment." He shrugs then.

"He's withholding?" She furrows her brow at that. She's a little surprised that Tony would even bring it up… Well, okay, no she's not surprised. But she's surprised he doesn't seem angrier about it.

"Not exactly. He's just a little on edge right now about his gamma poisoning me. We're running some tests."

"Didn't you already do that?" She asks in confusion.

She remembers the bizarre explanation he'd given when he asked her, in desperation, how to do the relationship thing effectively in between time. She also remembers laughing a little bitterly as it struck her that she and him wouldn't have even had a semblance of a relationship if not for the fact that they'd already known each other for years and SI events could pass for dates; whereas she'd connected with Phil in just moments of being able to actually talk to him after the ordeal with Stane – adding to the bitterness since at the time she wouldn't know Phil was alive for another few weeks.

"We did," he answers. "But there's been a new development. Bruce noticed something strange in my blood work and he wants to make sure it's not his doing."

She considers what he's saying as she walks over to sit down in the armchair with her food. "Wait, are you okay? What did he notice?"

"That's the thing. We don't actually know. We're running all kinds of tests and angles. I really don't think it's his doing, but I get that he needs the evidence. He doesn't want to hurt me." He falls onto the couch and props his feet up on the coffee table while she studies him, a soft smile forming.

"Well, I'm glad it's just that and not the other time out. Don't scare me like that." She _had_ been scared. Tony and Bruce together make a weird kind of sense. She's seen Tony through a lot and she can tell he's finally happy in a way she could have never made him, or he could have made her. "He's the one for you, Tony."

He stills his fork and gets a slightly distant look in his eyes before smiling. "Yeah, I'm starting to think so."

Suddenly the elevator dings and they turn to see Bruce. "It's not the palladium," he says, eyes fixed on Tony. Tony's feet immediately fall from the table and he sets his food down on it. "Tony, it's not the palladium," Bruce says again as she looks between them uncertainly.

"Damn it," Tony mutters and then looks at Bruce. "Come here," he says, turning on the couch a little and gesturing. Bruce seems to understand and comes over and sits down. She watches quietly as Tony takes Bruce's hands into his own. "Look, that doesn't mean anything. Just because it's not the palladium doesn't mean it's not something else. You said yourself that the palladium should have done more than what it did. Maybe it's some kind of genetic mutation that predates the palladium. It's just a dead end, not the very end, Bruce."

"I know," Bruce finally replies. "I just wanted it to be that easy, I guess. I just wanted to know it was something manageable. I wanted to know I'm not…"

"You're not, Bruce. I still believe that," Tony urges him, pressing their foreheads together. "Now maybe you should get some dinner so you're not hungry when we go back down to the lab later," he says more casually.

"Isn't palladium what almost killed you?" Pepper asks after they've had their moment.

"Yeah," Tony answers as he grabs his food again. "And there's a little confusion as to why it didn't."

She shivers remembering the whole ordeal. "Shouldn't you just be glad it didn't?" She asks genuinely.

"I'm very glad," Bruce fields that one as he sits down close to Tony and she understands his meaning, smiles at the roundabout endearment. "But as a scientist, very baffled. Understanding why the palladium didn't affect his blood may or may not be a piece to a current puzzle we've encountered with Tony's blood."

"I already explained the situation," Tony supplies.

"Ah. Okay, so if it's not a side effect of the palladium then it creates another scenario where Tony is a statistical implausibility."

She furrows her brow at that. "Medical miracle basically," Tony elaborates. "An anomaly."

"Right," she says, but then can't fight the small laugh that catches in her throat. "But Tony has always kind of been that," she points out, hoping to ease the tension in the room.

However, Bruce is mid-bite when she says it and he stops and tilts his head, eyes darting here and there between his creased brow. The fork slowly lowers back down to the plate. Confused, she looks at Tony who's looking at him expectantly.

"Elaborate, Pep. Just talk. His wheels are turning. He needs to run through the data," Tony says quickly, rolling his hand in her direction to gesture for her to continue.

She fights back the urge to point out how sweet it is that Tony can read Bruce so well in order to do as asked. "Well, you are, Tony. You survived a missile blast. You're surviving on an electromagnet. You were," she whispers it, "tortured for months. You fly a suit," she speaks up louder now, "and take ridiculous hits time and time again. You fell from space, Tony. From _space_." She shakes her head. "You are an anomaly all around. You live for putting yourself in situations that would kill other people. And that's not even including the fact your liver should be shot by now," she adds with a laugh.

"She's right," Bruce finally speaks, looking first at her and then at Tony. "You are pretty much a statistical implausibility. Do we have any palladium in any of the labs?"

"JARVIS?" Tony fields the question to the AI.

Pepper wonders just exactly what's going through Bruce's mind, but she hopes that whatever it is solves their problem for the better. She still worries for Tony, but now she worries for Bruce too. She worries for the both of them. Their lives are dangerous and wracked with things that could tear them apart at any moment. She knows it firsthand. She knows it from having nearly lost Tony three times and from having nearly lost Phil. She doesn't want that for them. She wants them to be happy. She thinks they deserve it.

She wants that for herself and Phil too, but just like she won't give up Phil no matter how dangerous his job is, she knows Tony at least won't give up Bruce without a fight either. In fact, the way Tony quickly works to accommodate whatever it is that's going through Bruce's mind and then suggests they watch a movie to refresh their minds, pulling Bruce close so they can still share intimacy, tells her that Tony is already fighting. It tells her that if Tony loses Bruce, he'll consider it just a battle and not the war and fight to get him back. She just sincerely hopes it never comes to that.

***

Tony pointedly looks away from the needle as it fills up with blood. Instead he focuses on Bruce as he draws the sample. Which he immediately realizes isn't the best idea since he's suddenly reminded of the doctor role play he'd been hoping for. He banishes that thought as another one occurs to him.

"You don't think it's you either now, do you?"

Bruce smiles thinly. "Well, I'm more hopeful than I was this morning if that's what you're asking." He caps the sample and then swabs the puncture site.

"You realize that a few dry kisses here and there at this point probably wouldn't do any further significant damage on the very off chance that your theory is correct." He immediately regrets it when a sad look flashes across Bruce's face.

Bruce however ignores any urge he might have to reply as he applies the bandage and then removes the rubber tie. "It'll take a few days to synthesize the affects of the eroded palladium in your blood sample compared to the normal blood sample to a point where we can see any clear difference."

Tony sighs. "Yeah, I got that already. Look, Bruce, maybe we should talk about this."

Bruce sighs as well, pulling off the anesthetic gloves and tossing them away. "Maybe we should. Tony, I'm still not comfortable with taking that chance. And yes I realize we could do that, but I also realize neither one of us is very good at stopping ourselves when we get started. The only compromise we can make at this point is kisses away from oral cavities." Before Tony can respond, Bruce turns his back and his shoulders deflate. "Look, if you need…" He sighs again. "If you need to go sleep with someone, I understand. I won't like it, but I won't stop you."

Tony feels his mouth fall open and his eyes widen. His brain stutters at the conclusion Bruce has drawn. He hurries over to turn Bruce back to face him. "You've got it all wrong, Bruce. Do I want to have sex right now? Sure. Do I want to kiss somebody senseless, you bet. But it's you, Bruce. Not anyone else. It's only been 24 hours. Try to think a little better of me."

"I do, Tony, but… What if it's never on the table again, huh? What about that?" Bruce looks at him, eyes challenging. "I know you have needs."

"Then we'll both be miserable for the rest of our lives," he answers, maybe a little over dramatically and curses - not for the first time - his sometimes barely manageable sex drive and how it's led to Bruce conclusion. "And I'll have to get off on remembering what we've had or something."

"You mean you'll imagine me while you're…" Bruce starts, but can't finish.

"No, that's not what I said. It's not even within the realm of what I meant," he argues.

"Tony, I'm an adult okay. You've got options. I can try to handle—" Bruce's eyes go wide and voice goes silent when Tony reaches down and gropes him. "Tony," he warns, slightly glaring, when he comes back to himself.

"That was just to shut you up," Tony says without apology as he lets go. "You can take it from there."

"What are you talking about?" The confusion that crosses his face is nothing short of endearing and Tony can't fight the smirk that spreads across his own.

"I'm going to prove to you, my astute Dr. Banner, that there are plenty of ways we can get through this time out without resorting to my fucking somebody random. Plenty of ways we can satisfy each other without your bodily fluids getting anywhere near me." His smirk widens a little when he feels Bruce shiver and sees the small dilation of his eyes. "I think you know exactly what I'm talking about now."

He cranes his neck then to whisper against Bruce's ear. "So what do you say, hmm? Think you can handle touching yourself while I watch? Use that sexy brain of yours to imagine it's me and scream my name like I'm the one who's pulling you apart? Think you can do that?"

Bruce groans. "I think I can be persuaded."

Tony pulls away and looks intently at the physicist, meaning it just as sentimentally as he does as a means to push his buttons. "Good. So why don't you stop thinking about me with other people and let me persuade you."

***

Bruce stands in their kitchen making eggs and oatmeal even though it's nearing noon. He's absolutely sated in ways that he couldn't have begun to imagine the night before. He knows at least some of it has to do with how determined Tony had been to prove his willingness to make their relationship work no matter what. The man is truly an engineering genius with a creative mind.

Creative and _filthy_.

He shivers at the memory of three rounds of risk-free sex that had, as promised, been satisfying. Honestly, he hadn't thought it would be possible and he's pretty sure those weren't even all of Tony's tricks. He'd be maybe a little mortified at how deep Tony's bag of tricks is if not for the fact that he's the one who now gets sole access to that side of Tony in addition to all of the other sides that make up the entire man very few people have ever seen.

"I saw that." Tony's voice interrupts his thoughts. "Which round were you thinking of?"

He looks over his shoulder and sees Tony standing there, fresh out of his shower and drying his hair with a small towel. Bruce had taken one beforehand.

"Hmm. That part in the lab where I started the synthesis tests," he answers coyly, referring to earlier that morning between rounds two and three.

"Oh yeah?" Tony wraps the towel around his neck, smirking, as he moves to stand behind him. "That definitely did it for me too." Tony kisses his bare shoulder and Bruce is immediately glad they compromised on some kisses.

Still, he chuckles a little at Tony's insatiability once he really gets in a mood. "Do you think we can make it through a meal before we go at it again?" He asks in amusement as he scrambles the eggs. "You know, I'm starting to suspect you only keep me around because of the serum's other side effects."

"Pfft. Don't be ridiculous. By that logic I'd be sleeping with Rogers. Besides, may I remind you of the three weeks I didn't even know what you were like in bed and still wanted to be with you? Hmm? Your argument is weak." Tony accentuates his point with a few more kisses along his shoulder toward the base of his neck and Bruce has to concentrate on not burning the eggs. "Face it, Bruce. I definitely want you. The sexy package is like the token prize."

He feels his body start to respond again – serum be damned at the moment because he's actually hungry – as Tony snakes his hands around him and trails fingers through the hair on his chest while he sucks minutely at his neck. "Food, Tony," he protests weakly.

_Sirs, Captain Rogers is in the lobby and requesting to come up._

Bruce bites back a laugh as he feels Tony deflate against him. "Horrible timing," Tony mutters. "I'd suggest making him wait, but the mood's already gone."

"Good," Bruce says as he turns off the stove. "We really do need to eat something," he says, turning to look at Tony seriously. As if agreeing with Bruce against the engineer's volition, Tony's stomach rumbles slightly.

"Ugh, yeah, you're right," Tony grumbles. "JARVIS, let Rogers come up." He then runs a finger down Bruce's chest. "You might wanna put on a shirt though. Don't wanna give Rogers any ideas."

Bruce nods and grabs the towel from Tony's shoulder to run over his still damp hair a little. "We'll have to tell the team eventually though." After all, if Clint and Natasha move in, he's not sure it'll even be possible to keep it secret.

"No, I meant that sexy body is mine and I don't want him getting ideas," Tony replies with a smirk.

Bruce rolls his eyes, but leaves to throw on a shirt just the same. When he returns, Tony has made plates for both of them as well as started some tea for him. He smiles in appreciation at that and sits down next to Tony at the breakfast bar just as Steve comes in.

"Hey, Steve," he greets the Captain first.

"There's some oatmeal left if you want," Tony offers instead of a salutation.

Steve looks at their meal as he comes to stand where they can see him. "Um, no, I'm fine. Had breakfast a while ago." Bruce doesn't miss the way he looks at them both curiously and it dawns on him then that two men eating breakfast at noon, looking freshly showered is probably pretty suspicious.

"Well, if you want lunch, I'm sure there's something you can help yourself to. Or I can have JARVIS order you something from downstairs," Tony says, continuing to be reasonably hospitable.

"Maybe," Steve replies uncertainly.

"So what brings you by," Bruce decides to ask before it can get awkward.

Steve smiles at the question. "Just got back from my stint in D.C. with the good will tour and congressional hearings about the Initiative. Thought it might be nice to visit. I hear Phil is around a lot now that he's healed up. Haven't seen him yet, but I hope he's taking it easy."

"As easy as a SHIELD desk job can be, I guess," Bruce answers the latter part. "I'd say he'd probably be itching to be hopping all over the place again if not for…" His sentence trails when he realizes maybe it's not his place to say anything.

"Phil's dating my CEO, Pepper Potts," Tony fills in the blanks. "It's not really a secret anymore since the tabloids were keen on figuring out who she might pick up after our breakup. And they've gone to some SI things together when he's had the time." Tony shrugs nonchalantly. "They don't know he's SHIELD specifically, but most of SHIELD is aware."

"Right, and she was your girlfriend," Steve says and again Bruce sees the way the Captain looks back and forth between them. "I'd heard about that. Well, I hope Phil is happy with her and vice versa."

"Ecstatic," Tony replies. "Honestly, I had my suspicions it was like that before the break up. Might have been jealous for about 2.5 seconds before…" Tony's sentence trails this time, but he recovers. "Well, things sort of changed after the battle I guess. Phil died, I nearly died, perspectives shifted. That sort of thing."

Steve nods. "Yeah, I think it shifted a lot of people's perspectives." His tone is tinged with sadness and he looks down, resembling a lost puppy. Bruce can't stop himself from nudging Tony, who then takes notice.

"So why do I get the feeling you're here looking for a place to crash," Tony says conversationally and Steve's smile returns.

"Well," Steve tilts his head from side to side, clearly guilty. "Yeah. I'm not heading back to D.C. any time soon, my SHIELD apartment was already rented out and apartment hunting in November seems like a lousy prospect. You mentioned you were fixing up the place so I thought I'd ask."

"I'm not entirely sure what state your floor is in," Tony responds honestly and then turns to look at Bruce. "Do you know where we're at in the process, Bruce?"

He snorts. "You're asking me? Really? Uh… " He considers it. He's not been much help to Tony in this area. Then again, Tony has mostly just delegated the work to contractors and designers. "I think the common areas are done? Clint and Natasha's floor is what they're focusing on now, right?"

Tony shrugs. "Sounds about right. JARVIS, get me a status update asap. So, if you don't mind bunking in the common lounge or here on the couch for a while, you're more than welcome to stick around until your floor is finished."

Steve scrunches his face and cocks his head slightly and looks between them. Suddenly Bruce thinks he knows exactly what Steve's thinking and braces himself for what was always inevitable.

"You don't have a free guest room? I thought… I mean, I'm sorry. I guess it's none of my business, but it didn't work out?"

Tony's eyes widen beside him just as a few gears click in his own mind. "Oh my god, Tony. Steve. Not Natasha. Steve." Tony looks at him, flabbergasted.

"No way." Then Tony turns to look at Steve. "You bet on us?"

"Yeah, guilty," Steve replies sheepishly. "I mean, it was more because it felt familiar than wanting to butt into your personal business. Used to bet all the time in the military, you know? But yeah. Sorry."

"No, don't be sorry," Tony counters. "We're just… And you bet in all the categories except for the break up one?" Bruce knows he's trying to get clarification. Steve nods. "How do you like that?" The question is aimed at him and rounded out with a laugh.

"Well, I can honestly say I never expected some day for Captain America to bet on my relationship status," Bruce responds with a laugh of his own. Then again he wouldn't have expected that relationship status to be with Tony Stark either.

"Not right apparently," Steve mumbles.

"What?" Tony balks. "No, that's just it, Cap. You bet perfect across the board. Minus the break up. Not sure why you didn't try for a clean sweep. I'm just confused as hell how you managed it. _You_. Captain America. You bet on two men you didn't even know and got it right."

"Oh? Oh, so you are… You're still together?" Steve perks up.

Bruce smiles at him. "We are. We were planning on telling everyone just… Uh, yeah." He's not sure how to explain that one exactly so he doesn't. "But, hey, good news. Guest room is free," he offers jokingly.

"Good. I'm glad to hear it. And not just for the guest room." Steve looks at them both with an incredulous grin then. "And really? You're confused? I was on the Helicarrier too, you know." He laughs and shakes his head at them. "You two were speaking a different language and called it English. I walked in on him making a pass at you, Dr. Banner. He was the saddest person in the room when you admitted you…well, you know. And he wanted me to keep him posted on the moment you arrived before any of us even knew you would." He shrugs. "Call it a hunch. Didn't seem like just a friendly connection to me. And I guess I'm still a little old fashioned. Figured I'd bet on dating. Or, I guess I sort of was rooting for you," he adds sheepishly.

"That actually means a lot. Thanks," Bruce offers genuinely. It's still a little weird, but it's nice. He can tell by the lopsided expression on Tony's face that he's thinking the same and likely deciding whether or not to admit it.

"You're A+, Cap," Tony settles for. "But the break up thing?"

"Oh, well, you know. Didn't feel gentlemanly to make a bet on something that involves a woman I'm not really familiar with."

"Definitely A+," Bruce agrees with a smile.

***

Pepper reminds him of Peggy. It takes Steve all of two days living in the tower to make subtle comparisons. He actually feels a little bad that he makes comparisons at all, but it's something he does without thinking. He'll be around a person and start comparing them to someone he used to know. When it comes to women, and occasionally a man, his mind immediately begins comparing her to Peggy. Pepper might not be physically inclined like Peggy – Natasha reminds him of Peggy in that regard – but she has the same kind of vocal ferocity and sharpness about her. She holds her own in the room, stands up for herself, and is wonderfully competent at what she does. He admires it.

He's also grateful for her as she drops in from her office regularly to make sure Tony and Bruce aren't ignoring any rules of hospitality. He doesn't mean for them to drop everything since he's the one intruding, but it at least keeps things a little less awkward. He distinctly feels a little like an unwanted third wheel sometimes – or that's the vibe he gets from Tony sometimes even if he can tell Stark is trying to be friendly. And most of the two days he's been there, Bruce had been out of sight in his lab, Tony popping out regularly to check on him or something. He can't feel bad about that. He finds it pretty endearing.

He knows that his reaction had surprised them both, or Tony at least. But he thinks maybe it has to do with how little accurate, accessible information there is of the time he grew up in. He's spent a lot of his time since waking up, studying up not only on what he's missed but also seeing how this modern world looks back on his own time. It seems as though eighty percent of what he comes across is sickeningly glamorous. Even most of the documentaries and textbooks seem to gloss over major details, the depression and war notwithstanding, that he had lived through – details that had been anything but glossy in real time.

One of those details was the existence of sexual preferences. Men preferring men, women preferring women, some being attracted to both – it had all existed and as a kid in Brooklyn he'd seen his share of it. And he'd seen the bullying and had hated it just as much as any other kind. So seeing Stark and Banner together is nice. He isn't sure why they're keeping it secret though if society is more accepting, if not perfect. Not when he can see even from across the common floor, that they – he, Tony, Bruce, Phil and Pepper – are christening like a ship, the two men are head over heels; they remind him of those glamorous stars he used to watch in the movies, minus the same gender aspect obviously.

The question of why bubbles at the surface of his mind as he holds a champagne flute and watches curiously as Tony opens a second bottle of champagne, _dealcoholized_ the bottle reads, and pours flutes of that for himself and Bruce instead. The look that transpires between them as Tony pours tells him that this is a meaningful gesture and so finally he has to ask – once they've finished pouring and the small moment between them seems to have passed of course.

"Is there a reason you don't want anyone to know?"

Tony and Bruce share a glance between them, clearly understanding his question. He looks over and sees Phil and Pepper share a glance as well. He now feels a little like a fifth wheel instead of a third. He turns back to look at the two men in time to see Bruce hitch a shoulder.

"A lot of reasons," Tony answers then. "I guess you could say we're building to that. I'm a celebrity as you know and, you can ask Pepper, being with me is like asking for the paparazzi to perch on your doorstep. Don't get me wrong, I'm not ashamed. And I'd love to brag about it." Tony glances at Bruce with a smile. "But the longer we keep it to ourselves, the better. Once we're both comfortable with taking that next step and confirming the rumors, we will. Actually the next step in the process was to probably inform the rest of the team since you'll be staying here."

"Then there are other complications," Phil interjects and before he turns his head to look at the agent, he sees the way the two men fall into one another with Tony snaking a protective arm around Bruce's waist. He furrows his brow. "We made sure to keep you away from him while you were in DC, but I'm sure you still read the hearing reports on days you weren't at Congress?"

Steve nods and thinks he understands. There had been some congressional members and people who had come before Congress to challenge the World Security Council's right to offer protection to members of the Avengers Initiative who might be loose cannons. There had been some particularly staunch opponents of the Hulk.

"You mean this is about the people who are asking if the government is keeping the bea- Hulk… somewhere?" He trips over his words, not wanting to use the derogatory terms that neither Dr. Banner nor his alter ego deserve. He glances over again to see Tony's protective arm has tightened to an almost possessive hold now and his face is set like vindictive stone.

"Yes. But most of those who ask won't challenge the government's final call or really find any courage to go up against the Hulk," Phil explains, voice even as always. "Unfortunately, there is one very major exception to that and his name is General Ross."

"No, his name is General Fucking Bastard," Tony growls before taking a sip of his drink. Bruce looks almost grateful for the outburst rather than startled.

"General…" Steve pauses. He suddenly recognizes the name from the reports so maybe he can understand both men's reaction. "He's the one angry that there's a SHIELD petition for the immediate decommission of his branch right?"

"There is?" Tony asks suddenly, looking at Bruce and then over at Phil.

"I don't know why you're surprised," Phil replies, shaking his head.

"It wasn't in the files," Tony fires back.

Steve cocks his head at this, remembering how Stark had infiltrated SHIELD's files on board the Helicarrier and some of the secrets Fury had been hiding. He immediately guesses that Tony is still up to the same trick, monitoring SHIELD, distrusting them in spite of the apparent protection they're trying to obtain for the man the billionaire cares about.

"Tony?" Bruce seems just as confused and arches an eyebrow.

"What?" Tony lets go of him and turns to look at the scientist dubiously. "You really didn't think that's what I'd be doing when I kept JARVIS in their system? Sure, I want to monitor other things, but my top priority is making sure you're safe. Not a single change to your files without JARVIS alerting me."

"And, you, Stark didn't think we'd know about it?" Phil asks and Tony turns to look at him. "We graciously allow you that access because it's imperative we work together in keeping Dr. Banner safe. And Director Fury isn't blind. He realizes there's a personal investment here and that when it comes to you, it's just simpler to let you in. But the petition is Level 10 clearance only. I'm sure you've come across some of them still swimming around on the main server." Steve hears Tony mumble, but isn't quite sure what he says. He suspects that Phil has hit a raw nerve however. "There's plenty more on Fury's personal server that not even you, with all of your ability, will ever have access to."

"Wait," Bruce says, sounding confused. "You're saying Fury himself filed the petition, but doesn't want anyone to know it was him? Why?"

"Self-preservation," Phil answers easily. "And so he can monitor the stipulations of the petition and keep out any interference."

"Interference?" Steve asks.

"He means not every higher up at SHIELD will agree that the Hulk shouldn't still be subdued, if not by Ross," Tony answers.

"Unfortunately, that's exactly what it means," Phil confirms. "SHIELD has reasons for wanting the Hulk out of Ross' hands or any other party who would seek to use him as a dangerous weapon or guinea pig. But that doesn't mean everyone at SHIELD trusts Dr. Banner's control. As far as I'm aware, Fury is working hard to change that, thus the petition in the first place to get rid of immediate outside threats. Whether Stark believes it or not, this is ultimately about finding a way for Dr. Banner to assimilate while ensuring the Hulk is still on our side."

Suddenly Bruce sighs and all of their eyes turn to him at the same time. "That's just it. There's never any way of ensuring the Hulk is on your side."

"Okay, time to change the subject," Tony chirps in response to that and Steve thinks he sees a flicker of panic cross his face as he does. "Look at this awesome floor. JARVIS, order some pizza so we can really get this party started."

"It _is_ a really neat place," Steve offers support as best as he knows how. Tony seems to take that as an excuse to give them a quick tour.

Steve just stands there looking around the large open space from where they stand around the wet bar as Tony gabbles about it.

From where they stand there's seating in just about the center of the room. In the far right hand space beyond that there's an assortment of things some of which he recognizes as a pool table, pinball machine (although more modern looking than the ones he'd played), ping pong, and even a jukebox machine that he wonders if Stark had added to make him feel a little at ease (it definitely makes him smile to see it). The space closest to the large windows is unfurnished. When he raises his eyebrows at that, Tony says it's for strutting; he recalls Tony's comment to Bruce on the Helicarrier and sincerely hopes that's a joke or that he means it's for general partying or guest hosting. Along the far left hand side of the room, from his vantage point, is a suspended, mostly enclosed loft with a short staircase leading to it; Tony explains that it's the media area.

There's a dividing wall that the bar is along and Tony leads them round the corner and down the small hall that leads to the other side of the space. Steve is nearly bowled over at the sight of a luxurious kitchen with a long island in the middle that has enough space on one end for food preparation and on the other end for eating, given the high stools that surround that area. Beyond the kitchen, with enough space so as not to seem cramped by any definition of the word, is a long dining table. Beyond that is a small hallway and short staircase that apparently leads to another, entirely closed off loft that houses a common bathroom – which Stark makes clear is sound proofed for obvious reasons being so near the eating area. By time they return to the bar, JARVIS tells them the pizza is waiting in the lobby and Phil elects to go retrieve it.

Honestly, Steve can barely take in the luxury of it all.

He's been to the tower a few times and the day before Tony and Bruce had finally given him an overwhelmingly extensive tour of the building beyond just their penthouse apartment, but he had only seen it as a business with a superfluous amount of amenities and number of floors: the parking garage, a level in the garage that apparently was designated solely for Tony's personal car collection, the public floors, the security, the in-house emergency medical bay, the in-house child care, a separate employee commissary, the seemingly endless floors full of laboratories and manufacturing, the seemingly endless floors of offices beyond that where Pepper worked at the very top, other floors that he honestly couldn't even remember, then another ten floors of what Stark had referred to as Research & Development with so much glee in his voice that he could tell he considered it a crowning jewel of the tower.

But the building as a business doesn't hold a candle to this. He's never even imagined a living space like this, and not only because of the modernism of it. It's like apples and oranges compared to his days as a kid in Brooklyn, his time in the army, or even the SHIELD apartments he's lived in be it in New York or D.C. The three floors above this one are designated to be personal apartments for himself, Thor, Clint and Natasha and he thinks if it's anything like this, he won't know what to do with himself when his is finished – which Stark says should be in a few more days. He sincerely hopes it's not too different from the space Tony and Bruce share which is nice enough as it is, but since Tony and Bruce have a workshop and lab where they spend a lot of their time, he has a nagging suspicion that Tony will overcompensate on the apartments for the rest of the team.

"I think you broke him, Tony," Bruce teases, breaking through his thoughts. "I understand, Steve. It takes a lot of getting used to." There's humor in his voice and he doesn't have to see him to know he's probably looking fondly at Tony as he says it.

Steve finally finds his voice again. "I might actually take you up on that original offer to just crash down here."

Pepper breaks in with a laugh. "Oh god. I'm sure rooming with those two for more than 24 hours is enough right?"

Steve laughs. "Well, it's not that bad. One of them is always gone." He looks at Bruce who shrugs sheepishly.

"I'm kind of working on something, uh, important right now. Sorry for not being more friendly," he offers, only seeming slightly apologetic.

"It's fine. I'm just grateful it hasn't been awkward in other ways," he teases back. The two men give each other a look that he can't quite read.

"You know," Pepper chimes in again. "I’m leaving for a two day meeting in D.C. You're welcome to take the guest room in my place if you don't mind rooming with Phil until your floor is done."

He considers the offer for a moment. He hadn't realized that Phil actually lived in the building since he hadn't seen him at all until this evening. "Oh, Phil lives with you?"

She laughs softly as if she understands the meaning behind his question. "Well, when he can get away from SHIELD or should I say when the doctor forces him to come home. He really doesn't seem to grasp the fact that he's still under orders to take it easy."

"Easy is not in any SHIELD agent's vocabulary," Phil replies and they turn to see him coming from the elevator with the pizza.

"Are you kidding? Fury offered you a vacation to Tahiti and you turned it down in favor of a temporary desk job," Pepper argues.

"I did," Phil says like a man who knows without a doubt that he made the right call as he sets the pizza down on the bar. "The woman I love doesn't live in Tahiti."

Steve looks away as they share a kiss, not that he's overly bashful anymore (being in the 21st Century, he'd had to get over that real fast or fumble over every little thing). He looks around the room, taking it all in again before his eyes land on Tony and Bruce. They aren't kissing, although they look like they want to and are holding back, but their foreheads are touching intimately. Even if he is the fifth wheel in the room, he's happy for his new friends in this new world and hopes they get the happy ending he didn't way back when.

He takes the final sip of his champagne and hopes he still has a chance for a different happy ending of his own in this new world.

***

Tony tilts his head back against the couch in Bruce's lab and moans as the physicist abuses a spot just above his collarbone. It isn't sex and they can't make out yet, but he loves this. He loves Bruce pressed up against him, marking him. Soon he'll have a mark that'll match the one on Bruce's hip bone – it wasn't his fault that Bruce had been wearing his low rise jeans the day before and had compromised on this kind of contact; it was an opportunity that couldn't be wasted. Every now and then, Bruce grinds against him just enough to tease… because Bruce Banner is a _fucking tease_. He loves that too though.

In fact, he's pretty sure he loves everything about Bruce Banner at this point. The uncertainty of his mutation has only solidified what he'd already been close to admitting. He's in love with Bruce Banner and isn't giving him up no matter what the palladium tests say.

He trails his hands slowly up Bruce's back and tangles them into his dark waves as Bruce licks at the tender bruise starting to form. Tony wants to fuck, be fucked, but if this is all that's left for them, he's surprisingly resigned to it. Because he won't give up the chance to have _something_ with Bruce. To have science and meals and movies and tangled limbs, and this closeness – he needs it. It's a connection he's never felt before and maybe it's his ego, but he thinks it's the same for Bruce. He thinks maybe Bruce needs him too if the cautious man is willing to do this, even with the uncertainty that looms in the air.

Bruce rolls his hips again and he bucks back in response. "So good," he encourages, yanking a little at Bruce's hair. "Say I'm yours, Bruce. Am I? Am I yours? Go on, say it," he urges because he wants to hear it, wants to hear Bruce.

Bruce moans against his skin. "Yeah, you're mine. All mine, Tony." He says it with clear conviction and Tony thinks he deserves a gold star at how well he restrains himself from escalating this against Bruce's consent because he always gets a little dizzy when Bruce reciprocates his possessive streak.

"Always," he groans instead, voice cracked with lust and love and who knows what else.

Bruce stills and looks up at him, dark, dilated eyes searching his. "Always?" Bruce's voice is almost a whisper and disbelieving.

Tony meets that gaze unwaveringly. "No matter what happens," he insists. "As long as you want me." He knows he can't go back now. He knows he's setting himself up for something he might not enjoy.

It takes him a moment to register Bruce's reaction because his pulse is in his ears, distracting him. But then he does and realizes, can see it in his face: Bruce is so overwhelmed that he's fighting just as hard not to give in and take more. It's the most reassuring thing he's ever seen.

"Tony…" They're achingly close and Bruce seems to be just on the verge of losing his inward battle when the alert for the finished simulations goes off and pulls their attention away at the same time.

Tony remains where he is while Bruce goes to study the results. He sits there, loses track of how long, watching in a daze as Bruce moves from station to station, from microscope to monitor, and back again. It's like a mesmerizing dance and it strikes him that nobody else in the universe could hold his attention like this. He's enamored. He's breathless. He's definitely in love.

"Tony, you need to come look at this." Bruce waves a hand for him to come over without turning. He points to the microscope first. Tony gets the hint and bends to look into it. "Here's the normal blood sample when subjected to the palladium before the introduction of lithium dioxide." Biochemistry has never been his strong suit, but even he can tell it's bad. "Now here's your blood before the lithium dioxide." He has to blink a few times to take it in because it's nowhere near the level of damage as the other sample.

"How long did you set the first time simulation?" He asks as he straightens back up.

"Six months," Bruce says soberly.

"Six months? If anybody's blood looked like that first sample after six months…" It dawns on him that Bruce was definitely on to something when he'd suggested the side effects should have been worse or that he should have already been dead. "But mine doesn't."

"Exactly. I just started a simulation to determine the effects of lithium dioxide given both blood samples so we can maybe get an idea how much that would have helped, but the toxicity alone… Okay, look at the monitor," Bruce goes off a tangent. "This is the list of symptoms and a graph of the degradation of the DNA over the course of the six months."

Tony scans the screen, taking in the information. "Yeah, death seems to be imminent at that rate," Tony says, twisting his head and grimacing. "And even if not, I'd definitely still be feeling some of the side effects without intense chemical poisoning treatment."

"Which, I'm going to go out on a limb and assume you didn't undergo?"

He barks out a laugh. "Uh, no. I got a few shots of the lithium dioxide, rediscovered a new element my dad left clues for – really long story – to replace the palladium, and then built a particle accelerator in my basement to synthesize it."

"And you say I'm the brilliant one?" Bruce raises an eyebrow and Tony can see that this time he's the one in awe of him.

"I never said I wasn't brilliant," Tony points out. "But I like hearing you say it," he derails for a moment. "After I stabilized the new reactor I had to go do the save the world thing. So, no, no. Definitely no intense treatment."

"See. Statistical implausibility on two counts now. You didn't die and you didn't even bat an eye after it was all righted."

"Why do I get the feeling you're about to show me something else," Tony asks, narrowing his eyes slightly.

"Because I am. Before I switch windows, if you'll notice the graph, the level of toxicity in the blood at the time of six months is already near where you said you were when SHIELD stepped in. Now here's your information." Bruce gracefully switches from one window to another and Tony nearly falls backwards.

"That… What the hell?"

"Kind of wondering the same thing."

Not only are there barely any symptoms, all of which he recognizes as ones that he'd had such as the constant bouts with bad colds that had made him a little bit paranoid of anyone with so much as a sneeze, he also notices the strange up and down spikes of the graph indicating the degradation of his DNA.

"So essentially what's going on here is when my DNA would start to degrade, my DNA repair kicked into hyper drive?" He's pretty sure that's the only logical conclusion here, but he looks at Bruce questioningly.

"Essentially," Bruce answers, hitching a shoulder. "This is off the chart compared to anything I've seen that… Well, isn't me. And there aren't even signs of irreparable DNA at this point. I'm assuming it has to come later since you did start getting worse and I'll continue the synthesis down to that point for examination. But look at your blood toxicity levels. They go up and down too. Tony, this is not normal."

Tony takes it all in for a moment. His mind whirs with possibilities. Finally one question wins out. "So, theoretically, my DNA mutation predates the arc reactor?"

Bruce looks at the data again, rolls his bottom lip, and then nods. "Theoretically."

A million more questions and thoughts and a little bit of panic enters Tony's mind then, but he pushes it all aside for the time being. "JARVIS, I want you to find all of my medical records from birth, sealed or unsealed, and move them to both my private server and Dr. Banner's for our perusal."

_Sir, I believe that would involve hacking into the Department of Health._

"Is that a problem, J?"

_No, sir, but it may take a little time. Several hours at least.  
_

"That's fine. I'll be busy anyway," he says, as he looks at Bruce still studying the monitor in clear befuddlement.

He doesn't waste another moment before grabbing Bruce by his wrist, turning him quickly, and pulling him into a desperate kiss before he can back away. He feels Bruce tense in surprise, maybe even a dangerous surge of temper, but he's done playing it safe. Not with a new mystery on their hands and the almost certain reassurance that Bruce is not poisoning him.

"Tony, what are you…" Bruce sputters as he pulls away and looks at him in confusion.

"Look, theoretically the mutation predates our involvement which pretty much confirms our previous conclusion that you are not going to poison me unless I consume your blood. Which is definitely one of the few kinks not on my list." He's not entirely sure why he has to explain this to Bruce, but he's willing do what he can to get the point across.

Bruce blinks a few times. "Yes, okay. I concede. And… I'm relieved," he adds with a small smile before turning serious again. "But right now we need to get to the bottom of this. Theoretically, we're looking at something even bigger here."

He smiles broadly at the opening. "Oh, we are. We definitely are. Maybe you didn't quite understand me earlier." Bruce furrows his brow. "I'm in love with you, Dr. Banner."

***

As Bruce falls apart, as the world threatens to burst around him like a blinding solar flare, it's like a dam breaks in his mind; his incoherent thoughts fail to produce anything more than _I love you_. So he murmurs those words again and again between cries of passion and other entreaties.

He almost wonders for a moment if first saying it like this cheapens the meaning or if Tony will begrudge him for it. But the worry never truly forms when Tony's wrecked voice manages to steal through his drunken haze with strings of encouragement – Tony is always an encourager in bed – some of which includes an urging for him to say it again.

So he does.

Bruce knows by now that Tony encourages because he himself needs it too. Tony needs to hear that he's loved, that he's good, no matter his ego, the same way Bruce needs to feel it and be shown before it starts to settle in beneath the skin – the way it settles there now. So he can't help but give him the words he needs when they're touching like this, both at their most desperate and most open.

"Say it," Tony appeals again. "Please, Bruce." But begging isn't necessary.

"I love you, Tony." It comes out like a cry of ecstasy. He repeats it and he'll keep repeating it.

Maybe it should scare him because he means it every single time. He might mean it _a little more_ every single time, like a prayer that becomes more earnest as it goes. Tony Stark just might be the actual love of his life like some crazy dream he never could have come up with on his own. Of all the people to touch him like this, that he's touched like this, only Tony could crawl into his heart and mind and _everything_. It's like a drug stronger than anything ever found to suppress the Other Guy; it paralyzes him and he's too weak to ever let Tony go again. He wants the same hope for _always_ that Tony professes.  

Now that it's out there, unable for him to take it back, he can only wait for the universe to come and try to take it all away from him again. And he's scared of that, but Tony loves him and is the only one who has ever figured out how to pull him apart and put him back together again. So maybe this time he's willing to fight, willing to risk the loss, willing to trust Tony's choice. As he tumbles over the edge with Tony, it's like a fall he's never felt before; he knows there's no going back after tonight. If anything should try to destroy his life again, he's sure the Other Guy will raze the world to the ground and he'll gladly burn in the ensuing flames.

As the stars begin to fade and he comes back down, he says it again for good measure, like a battle oath. "I love you so damn much," he whispers hoarsely, his breath ragged from the perfect drumming of his heart that once used to terrify him. They reach for each other at the same time, lips connecting like a lifeline to pull one another close in their mutual descent from cloud nine. "You don't know, Tony," he says, shuddering in the aftershocks of all these emotions.

How can Tony know? How can he possibly know what he's done to him? What Bruce is willing to risk because of him? How can Tony know that he's given himself to a selfish lover who could still very much destroy everything and yet can't find it in him now to walk away?

"I do, Bruce. I do," Tony promises, sounding broken and vulnerable, and Bruce can't help believing him.

***

For a moment Tony gets distracted from what he's doing as he stares across the room at where Bruce sits at the dinette with a laptop and cup of tea. He can't help grin a little lopsidedly at how Bruce looks like a rumpled professor grading assignments. Every now and then he hums, a different inflection depending on if he's surprised or if he's stumbled across something that he was expecting, and he writes down notes on his trusty notepad. Bruce is reading through the medical files one by one that JARVIS had retrieved and searching for further proof. So far, they know for certain that the mutation seemed to be indicated in the blood work prior to the palladium – a relief to them both after the perfect night before, relief to Bruce maybe more so he thinks.

Quiet moments like these are why he needs not only for his newest algorithm to work, but for his attempts to find a way into Fury's personal server to work. Phil tells him to trust Director Fury, but he just doesn't know if he can take that chance when it means this much to him for Bruce to be safe. He needs to know the terms of that petition and anything else about Bruce that Fury might be keeping to himself now that he knows that possibility exists; he feels a little sheepish having not considered that the Director's files would be housed somewhere else in the first place though.

"Gotcha!" He suddenly exclaims as the random Level 10 file he'd found on the server he already has access to decrypts.

Bruce startles a little and looks at him. "Got what?"

"Clean access to Level 10 secrets," he gloats and Bruce's eyebrows shoot up. "Although this file is incredibly boring and... Oh wait, no I lied. Apparently Coulson was once undercover as a principal."

"I can see that actually," Bruce replies with a laugh. "But speaking of Coulson. Are you sure it's _clean_ access? They seem to know you're in there already."

Okay, so Tony's only ninety-eight percent certain that this algorithm will ghost his perusal of Level 10 files, but it's pretty close. He's less certain that accessing a top secret server from the outside will be that unnoticeable. "I'm pretty sure," he admits. Bruce shrugs as if to say, 'well, have fun with that' and Tony scrunches his nose at him.

"Well, while you're busy being pretty sure, I'm starting to be a little bit sure you've always been an anomaly," Bruce says then as he picks up the notepad and looks over what he's written down so far. "In fact, I'm wondering why you're even afraid of doctors since other than the routine stuff, you've never had any serious incidents. You weren't even a very sick child as far as I can tell." Bruce then bites his lip and looks at him cautiously. "Is the doctor thing because of…" He merely points, which Tony is grateful for.

"Um, well, no." He answers, though he knows he sounds a little uncertain. "Not exactly. It definitely worsened it. But I hated doctors even when I was a kid. Didn't matter if it was just a little checkup or a trip to the nurse's office at boarding school, just didn't like anything to do with hospitals or needles."

"Huh. Must be an ingrained phobia then. Maybe something when you were really, really young you don't remember. Maybe something in a movie," Bruce suggests. "But, really, you were very healthy. Kudos."

"I was," Tony agrees, knowing it to be true. "I just never thought it was a big deal or anything."

"It might not be," Bruce replies, though hesitantly, as he turns sideways in his chair. "Lots of people are just relatively healthy because of a good immune system and vice versa genetically."

"But?" Tony raises an eyebrow, suspecting there was more Bruce wanted to say.

"Okay, yeah, but… Typically, the immune system has to play catch up on its own." Bruce looks back over at the laptop. "I know I don't have to tell you how it generally works, but if you're not really exposed to many of the common illnesses as a kid, your body doesn't build up resistance. I mean that's the whole point of vaccination."

"Right, got that and the general principal is…" Tony's eyes widen and his eyebrows shoot up in realization of Bruce's point. Bruce looks back over at him with a small nod to indicate that's exactly where he'd been going with it. "Damn, never thought of that. I should be hacking out a lung every few months at this rate."

"Unless you're lucky enough to be someone who's genetically endowed." Tony smirks and Bruce frowns at him. "I meant with a good immune system."

"Right, of course. So is that what this mutation would look like then? Is it just indicating a good immune system?" Tony asks because this definitely isn't his field of expertise.

"Uh…" Bruce looks stumped as well. "I don't quite know. We're starting to get a little out of my depth, honestly."

Tony considers all of the points of data so far and comes to a conclusion. "Okay, so I think what we've established then is that one, it's not you. That was our immediate concern." Bruce looks at him with relief clear in his eyes and nods. "And we know it's not the palladium. And we know that it's been there for a while. And now we know that I'm just all around healthy. I'm beginning to think that's about all that matters. I'm still healthy so clearly this mutation thing isn't that big of a deal. Hey, who knows," he then says with a sudden thought, "maybe that means I'll be more resistant to you since you're so worried."

Bruce laughs gently at that. "Well, that's one way of looking at it."

Tony gets up and crosses over to him, settling in the space between his legs. "It's the best kind of way of looking at it," he says with a confident smile as his hands move to practically cradle Bruce's neck.

"Am I interrupting?" They both look over at the same time to see Steve standing in the door way.

Tony drops his head forward in exasperation. He really should have changed the pin for the penthouse apartment when Steve had moved the majority of his items down to Phil's and Pepper's apartment.

"If I say yes?" He questions sarcastically, not moving. Bruce smiles up at him wryly, indulging his sense of humor.

"Oh, uh, well..." Steve stammers for a moment and Tony raises his eyebrows a little at the uncharacteristic behavior, not breaking his gaze from Bruce whose eyes are sparkling in shared amusement. Steve finally clears his throat. "It's just JARVIS informed me that my apartment should be ready to move into tonight so I thought I would get the rest of my things packed up. Guess I should have notified you first."

"It's fine, Steve," Bruce acquiesces first. "Besides," Bruce raises an eyebrow at Tony then, "I seem to recall Tony has a meeting downstairs in half an hour."

Tony's shoulders slump. "I was hoping you'd forget about that," he grumbles.

"And face Pepper's wrath when she gets back tomorrow?" Bruce shakes his head. "Nope." He carefully removes Tony's hands from his neck and Tony allows Bruce to spin him around. "Move it," he says firmly, but not harshly, before giving him a playful swat to the ass.

Tony's eyes widen not because of the gesture, but because he'd done it with Steve in the room so he registers right away that Bruce is just as keen on making it awkward for Steve as he is; Bruce's low key ability to troll right along with him is just one of the many things he loves. Tony spins right back around and wags a playful finger at him. "Somebody wants to top tonight, I see," he teases. "And just so you know, I'll be distracted the entire meeting now." Then he leaves, Bruce chuckling behind him, to their bedroom to get ready for said meeting which he still has no interest in going to.

***

Steve smiles to himself as he packs up the rest of his things in the guest room. He knew sooner or later there would be an awkward moment, but he's okay with it. He'd witnessed enough awkward moments in the war and, well, growing up with Bucky as a best friend. Maybe it's uncomfortable, but mostly because he doesn't want to be intrusive. He doesn't care about couples acting like couples and he doesn't die of embarrassment when certain subjects are breached, he's just inexperienced and likes to know exactly where he should stand at all times.

If Tony had said leave, he would have left and given them privacy just like he'd want the same in a position like that. Bruce swatting Tony or Tony's candidness about sexual activities were things that were a little outside the realms of what _he_ might be comfortable with in front of others, but he was in their home and they could flirt all they wanted. It was maybe even a little encouraging to see the two men actually happy since he was well aware of both of their pasts now.

Not that he wasn't aware that maybe they were teasing him, but again he could handle it and he was sure it was only bound to get a little more like the army as they went along if they were all going to be staying in the same building with a common floor to boot. These things were bound to happen, especially if Tony was anything like Howard had been and he was fairly certain there was a good deal of similarity – at least where being open and tactile are concerned.

He smiles again, maybe a little bit nostalgically this time, as he gathers up his large storage box of items and carries it back into the living area. However, he pauses when he sees Bruce staring somewhat distraught at his laptop. He has a pen in his mouth and a hand buried in his hair.

"Dr. Banner?" He asks gently.

Bruce blinks several times and then slowly looks at him like he's just remembered Steve exists. "Hmm?"

"Are you… okay?" He asks then, hoping he's not reading the situation incorrectly.

Bruce sighs as he removes the pen from his mouth and shakes his head. "I don't know. I mean, yes, I am. I'm just… confused."

Steve sets down his box and takes the initiative to pull out another chair from the dinette. "Anything you need to talk about?" He hesitates, but then adds, "I hope it's nothing with… Well, with you and Tony?"

Bruce offers him a thin, but seemingly genuine smile before shaking his head again. "No, nothing like what you're probably thinking, Steve," he assures. "We're fine. Better than fine I think. But…" He looks contemplative. "I don't know if I should tell you, but it seems Tony's blood is a little bit of an anomaly. It's… Well, it's mutated."

Steve furrows his brow. "Like ours?" He doesn't know the specifics, but he does know for a fact that his and Bruce's blood is fundamentally different thanks to the super soldier process, except apparently Bruce's blood is toxic whereas his blood isn't.

"Sort of." Bruce nods. "It's not exactly like mine, but… there are some similarities that give me pause. I haven't told Tony yet. Well, not exactly." Bruce seems unsure of himself, talking in circles.

"Maybe you should start from the beginning," Steve suggests. He thinks it'll help him be there for the other man better than trying to make heads or tails of what Bruce is getting at. "But only if you want, of course."

Bruce sighs again and nods. "Tony had some blood work done recently and I noticed a mutation. The mutation gave me pause because there are some similarities to mine. Initially…" Bruce's face colors and he ducks his head for a moment. "Ah, that is, I thought I was… poisoning him…"

Bruce looks up then to see if he understands. Frankly, he doesn't. "I know your file says your blood is toxic and you give off a gamma signature, but I wasn't aware that just being around you could pose a threat. And I would hope Tony isn't a vampire," he then adds as a slight joke.

Bruce gives a rusty laugh, but still looks uncomfortable. "Uh, no, you see… Saliva carries some of the same properties blood does due to trace contaminants from the tongue, cheeks, and gums and, well, semen…"

Steve's eyes widen and he holds up a hand. "Okay, got it. You were afraid that the radiation in your blood carried over to, uh, other bodily fluids?"

"Yes, precisely," Bruce says evenly, but his tone is clipped enough to suggest he's glad to have gotten to the point. "I unfortunately didn't know a lot about my cellular makeup and what's dangerous and what isn't before… Well, Tony and I ran tests to check the danger when we first started dating and it seemed fine. But then Tony's blood work came back weird and I didn't know what to do with that."

Bruce pauses and Steve considers what he can say. "You said initially," he then offers hesitantly.

"Yes, I did. We're ninety-eight percent certain it's not that now. Thankfully," he says genuinely and Steve has to admit he can sympathize with how much of a relief that must be. "We continued to run some more tests to figure out what was happening. Long story short, we came to the conclusion that he might just have always had the mutation, perhaps genetically. It's not… impossible." Steve gets the distinct feeling that Bruce isn't convinced. "But I just came across a medical file of Tony's that suggests his blood was normal before the age of four."

"You might need to elaborate for me, Bruce," Steve says honestly.

"I'm saying, whatever it is that he has, he wasn't born with it. That means somewhere along the lines his blood mutated to have properties similar to, well, mine. It could be nothing, but it has me baffled and a little bit concerned. Whatever it is, it seems to have kept Tony remarkably healthy." Bruce clicks on something on his laptop and then tilts his head. "In fact, it looks like he has twice as many medical records from before the age of four than he does from four to eighteen combined." Bruce then hums and narrows his eyes as if studying whatever it is that's on his screen.

Steve sits in silent consideration of all that Bruce has shared with him. "So he was a sickly baby?" He hazards a guess after a moment. His mind had gone other places, but he's not sure he's just not looking at it from enough angles because he's not a scientist.

"Very sickly," Bruce replies. "Ah, but… Don't…" He sighs. "I really shouldn't be sharing this with you without Tony's consent. I'll have to tell him I told you, but please don't say anything about it."

"I understand. Hopefully he'll understand you're just concerned," Steve offers a placating smile. "So is it possible that he might have had a medical treatment to help with the sickliness that could have maybe mutated his blood in the process?" Steve asks, hoping that he got all of those words in the right order to form a coherent question about something he knows little about. Medical treatments for his sickliness as a boy were far from what they are now; he knows that much.

"Possible. Whatever it was must have really packed a punch though…" Bruce's sentence trails and Steve sees his brow crease as though he's studying something in his mind's eye. He has to wonder if Bruce has jumped to the same ridiculous theory that he had a moment prior. Then he shakes his head minutely as though he thinks it's just as crazy, if that was indeed what he had been considering.

"Dr. Banner?" Steve presses.

"It's impossible," Bruce mumbles.

"Is it?" Steve asks uncertainly and Bruce looks at him, his expression clearly indicating that he realizes they're thinking the same thing.

"Erskine's original formula was lost. You know that, Steve," Bruce says dubiously, but Steve suspects he's trying to convince himself. "There were only so many notes on the subject for us to work with. I mean, I didn't even realize what I was creating until it went wrong. I didn't realize that they were trying to recreate the serum. I just thought I was creating something for radiation resistance or else I never-"

"I know," Steve says in understanding. "But is there any way at all that it could have been done? Fury was briefing me on some of the efforts to replicate the serum after I went under and he mentioned a project that almost got the serum right. It was given to a, uh, soldier? Emil—"

"Blonsky," Bruce says and looks pale. Then his brow furrows. "Wait, Blonsky was treated with the same thing I had and turned into the Abomination. Why would Fury-"

"No," Steve interrupts as politely as possible, "the guy Fury mentioned was given a serum based on the original formula that was locked away before being tested on anyone. And apparently it got pretty darn close before he started showing aggression and body mutation. Which sounds a hell of a lot like Erskine's original formula. Good becomes better, bad becomes worse."

Bruce is silent for a few moments before venturing forward. "Okay, assuming Fury's telling the truth, Tony doesn't have any of those symptoms. I mean I get good becomes better, but he was just a boy and he's, well... I'm crazy about him, don't get me wrong, and I don't mean that it's a problem, but he's not exactly you." Bruce winces as if saying those words hurt him somehow or leave a bad taste in his mouth.

He doesn't comment on it, simply nods. Bruce has a point regardless after all. "I'm not saying it is that. Fury didn't mention it so it was just a blind guess. Besides, I don't know how Howard could have managed something like that anyhow. The government shut down the project and ordered all of my blood samples to be destroyed after minimal analysis to prevent this sort of thing from happening. Only two samples survived to my knowledge."

Bruce's mouth falls open. "Wait, two samples survived?"

"Yes," Steve admits. "Howard and I decided that the SSR should maintain two samples just in case in the future it would be possible to keep Erskine's work from being in vain. I entrusted them to Howard."

"You…" Bruce blinks. "JARVIS," he says suddenly.

_Yes, Dr. Banner?_

"I need you to scan SHIELD files and Howard Stark's archived notes for anything pertaining to samples of Captain Rogers' blood."

_As you wish, Dr. Banner._

Steve studies him carefully. "What are you looking for?"

"I don't know." Bruce shrugs. "Maybe nothing. But, no offense, I don't much trust Howard given what Tony's shared with me. And even if it's completely unrelated, samples of your blood being out there somewhere possibly is a thread that needs to be pulled. Trust me on that, Steve."

"You mean in case they fell into the wrong hands." Steve suddenly understands and says no more on the matter.

***

"I hate meetings. I hate them. I absolutely fucking hate them," Tony grouses as he steps out of their private elevator.

Bruce opens one eye from where he sits in an open space meditating. "I'm not entirely sure you're supposed to love them," he offers with a thin smile before closing his eye again. Within seconds he feels Tony settle down on the floor in front of him.

"Which is why I think I'm going to create new rules for how meetings should be done for SI," Tony says somewhat earnestly. "From now on they're not allowed to run over a certain length, there needs to be music, there needs to be a healthy amount of alcohol or soda or something, definitely pizza and—"

"So basically a party where absolutely nothing productive gets done?" Bruce asks archly.

"Yes," Tony practically groans the word and Bruce laughs in spite of himself.

"I bet you're tense. Care to join me?" He doesn't have to open his eyes to see the sour expression on Tony's face, but he does anyway because it's amusing.

"There are much more enjoyable ways of getting rid of a little tension," Tony counters.

"Hmm. How about a massage?" Bruce offers and Tony's face practically lights up.

"A tantric massage?" He asks eagerly.

Bruce smiles. "Sure."

"And hot sex after is definitely negotiable, yes?"

Bruce gives a dry laugh. "Of course. We can even skip our dinner plans with Steve if you want," he offers playfully.

Tony's face lights up further before falling, eyes narrowing into a hard study. "Okay. Now I'm worried. Why are you trying to butter me up? What… What happened while I was at that meeting?"

Bruce knew of course that he would figure it out. He wants to bridge the conversation sooner rather than later. Still, his lips tighten into a line for a moment.

"I might have, no, there's no might about it…" He sighs and restarts. "I shared with Steve what was going on because I was still looking at your medical files, came across something new and he was concerned. I'm sorry. I should have just waved him off because that's your information and not for me to share." Bruce worries his lip and glances away.

"Is that all?" Tony startles him with a short laugh. "Look, they're just medical files. It's not like Steve's going to have much use knowing I broke my arm when I was 8 or that I vaguely recall not being able to hear out of my left ear until I was 3 or 4 because of chronic ear infections."

"You know about that?" Bruce looks at him questioningly.

"That I had chronic ear infections?" Tony looks back at him strangely. "No, I was just guessing it might be something of the sort based on my earliest memories. I've literally never paid attention to my medical records. Why? Did I?"

"Uh, yeah, among… other things," Bruce says uncertainly. "That's what I was looking at when he asked." In lieu of wringing his hands, Bruce begins playing with Tony's suit jacket. "You, you were a very sickly baby, Tony," he tells him, unable to meet his gaze.

"Huh. Okay, maybe that's where the super immunity came from," Tony posits nonchalantly.

Bruce does look at him then and considers his hypothesis. "Not improbable. That's the thing. The mutation, I narrowed it to sometime around the age of 4. Which is also when you suddenly became a little clean bill of health," he adds.

"Alright, sounds like the likely scenario here is I was sick so much that all of the treatments I likely had plus the overworked antibodies decided it would be better to just mutate and be done with it," Tony says with a small flap of his hand. "Case closed. I still want that massage though."

Bruce smiles in spite of Tony's dismissive attitude. Then again, Tony isn't the kind to worry about these things once he's able to compartmentalize them. He might have been worried at first, but now that there are a few reasonable explanations and none of them worth his concern he can easily wave them off. Bruce, on the other hand, doesn't work like that.

"Um, one more thing," Bruce says as he moves his hands up a little along the lapels of Tony's jacket. "I also found out from Steve that he gave your father two samples of his blood for safe keeping."

"What?" Tony's eyes widen at that. "I thought it was all destroyed."

"Me too. And most of it was apparently which is why I guess Steve trusted your father with two samples after that happened. Just in case," he says with a weak shrug because he doesn't like all of the potential 'just in case' scenarios that it could or did lead to.

"Terrible idea really," Tony says.

"Glad you agree. Because I may have gotten carried away and asked JARVIS to run a scan for any SHIELD files that mention Steve's blood and…" He sighs. "I also asked him to run a check through your father's archived notes to see if he ever mentioned it. I know it's a long shot if he didn't want anyone to know. I also know I should have asked you before digging into your father's notes."

Tony suddenly grabs his worrying hands and holds them in place against his chest. "Hey, where is all of this insecurity coming from all of a sudden?" He asks with an intense gaze. "I understand why you wanted to pull that thread. And I don't give a damn if you want JARVIS to scan my dad's things. Did JARVIS protest?"

"Uh, no, not at all," Bruce answers honestly.

"Good. Because he knows what you have access to and what you don't. And there's really not much that you don't, Bruce. If there had been a problem, he would have told you and then you could have told me and I'd still have given you access in this case." Tony pauses and leans in a little. "We've been together for nearly six months. You don't have to tiptoe when it comes to this kind of stuff. Or anything, but hey I've learned you wouldn’t be you if you didn't sometimes. But you know last night when I said I love you, I meant it. I wouldn't suddenly stop over something this trivial. I mean, you're talking to the guy who hacks government files on a regular basis. So, we good here?"

Bruce feels the growing familiarity of warmth across his chest and nods. "We're very good," he answers because they are. Or at least, he is. Hearing Tony say he loves him so conversationally doesn't diminish it, rather makes it feel truer. He doesn't just love him in the lab when emotions are flying high because of uncertainty or after the throes of, well, what had certainly been making love rather than just ordinary sex. "I meant it too, you know," he says as he leans in the rest of the distance to join their lips together.

The kiss is tender and meaningful, much like the night before had been, before raw lust settles in. Tony holds one of Bruce's hands still to his chest and the other settles into his hair. Bruce takes the opportunity and begins loosening Tony's tie with his free hand, pulling on it a little to bring Tony as close as possible as the kiss deepens.

"We can skip the massage," Tony says breathlessly when they pull apart for air. "I think we could both benefit better from this," he adds somewhat cheekily, but Bruce can't complain because cheeky is a damn good look on the billionaire.

Also he can't disagree as his deft fingers make work of the buttons on Tony's dress shirt, hungry for the skin underneath. He only pauses for a brief second when Tony reaches for the hem of his shirt, a rare occasion when he's not wearing a button up, and pulls it off of him with obvious practiced skill. Tony's hands immediately card through his chest hair and Bruce melts a little at the contact. When Bruce finishes with Tony's shirt he relishes in touching the body he never seems to get tired of while Tony seeks out his lips again.

This time the kiss is hungry and desperate and Tony's tongue immediately sets to exploring his mouth, and Bruce is fairly certain he's already created a mental map of it but chooses to ignore it because that would be too practical. Of course as Bruce moans into the delicious skill that Tony has and they slowly move to the floor so that he's flush atop and headily making out with the engineer, Bruce realizes practicality will never have anything to do with it and that's maybe not a bad thing.

***

Pepper finds the three Avengers in the media lounge when she returns, having cleared her schedule for the rest of the day after her demanding trip. There had been a clandestine addition to the meetings in which some of Stark Industries' congressional sponsors began asking questions about Dr. Banner's work with the company and the rumors regarding the nature of his relationship with Mr. Stark given the all but publicly confirmed knowledge of Bruce being the Hulk. She's glad Phil and Steve had mentioned that there had been some talk about the subject or else she might not have been able to keep as cool a head as she did.

Tony seems to be teaching Steve the competitive joys of Wii Tennis and Bruce is watching on the couch in clear amusement. Pepper decides to kick off her shoes and curl up on the nearby love seat. Bruce smiles in acknowledgment of her before turning his attention back to the match.

"You know we have an actual tennis court, right?" She asks teasingly.

"Baby steps, Pep. Always best to start off with the simulation before moving to real world tests," Tony says without breaking his focus.

"I'm not sure that applies with the physics of Wii Tennis," Bruce counters.

"He just doesn't want to play me on a real court," Steve chimes in with no small amount of taunting in his tone. Pepper has to admit she's impressed that Steve Rogers has it in him. Then again, she has a feeling he has plenty of surprises up his sleeve.

"Excuse me, Cap, but who just beat you three matches in a row?" Tony asks defensively even as he scores another point.

"Well, one, it's still a video game," Steve replies smoothly. "And, two, if we keep going your stamina is going to eventually run out so it's really a case of tortoise and the hare."

Pepper laughs outright and she hears Bruce stifle a laugh at Steve's jeer. Meanwhile, Tony just scoffs.

"I'll have you know my stamina is amazing," Tony snips. "Just ask Bruce."

Pepper sees Bruce's eyes widen and Steve shakes his head. "Yeah, I'd rather not," the super soldier says.

"And I'm just as okay with not answering that question," Bruce adds.

Tony huffs in clear mock indignation. "Fine, then he can ask Pepper."

"Oh god, please don't," Pepper has to chime in, though she's more amused than anything.

"You know, not that it's any of my business, but isn't that ever a little weird for you two?" Steve asks and Pepper glances over at Bruce at the same time he glances at her, both knowing the question is aimed at them.

"Maybe at first?" Pepper offers with a shrug.

Bruce nods. "It was for me. Not that, you know, we're not adults here. I just… I was a little worried I was some kind of home wrecker," he says with a small, nervous laugh. Tony snorts in amusement. "And of course Tony isn't exactly the most private about things so there was a little bit of awkwardness at first."

"But I think we're good now," Pepper says reassuringly, smiling at Bruce and then looking back at the match just as Tony takes the win.

"Ha! See, Rogers. I am a pro and I'm not even tired," Tony crows and then turns around. "Another victory kiss!" He exclaims and Bruce shakes his head fondly before Tony bends down and kisses him.

Pepper would like to say she didn't squeak, but she definitely squeaked. "So everything's fine?" She looks at them in hopeful askance as they pull apart.

"Yes," Tony says with no small amount of contentment that makes Pepper wonder just what else exactly happened while she was away. "Better than fine," Tony says, adding fuel to her curiosity.

"I'm glad," she admits enthusiastically. "I was definitely worried about you both."

"See, Cap," Tony starts and she can just tell he's about to ruin the moment, "she's more invested in mine and Bruce's love life than she ever was in mine and hers."

"That's not fair, Tony," Pepper protests. "You and I were more like platonic lovers and you know it. There were good times, sure, but what you and Bruce have is different."

"Yeah, it is," Tony replies and as he does his face softens, his smile going from teasing to absolutely enamored, and it strikes her immediately what had happened.

The idiots must have finally figured out they're so far gone in love with one another that if their feelings were a building it would be taller than Stark Tower. Or at least Tony clearly has. She quickly glances over at Bruce and gives an internal sigh of relief. The sparkle in his eyes and possibly the most content look she's ever seen on the man lets her know that he's figured it out too.

After a quiet moment, Steve speaks up again. "If it's all the same, I'm kind of tired of tennis. Why don't we… Hey, Bruce, what do you want to do?"

Pepper bites down on a laugh at the way Bruce is clearly thrown off guard by the question. She knows that the scientist is pretty good at blending into the background and letting others take the initiative in choosing activities although she also knows Tony has gotten remarkably better at not taking advantage of that; in fact, she knows that Tony prods him just to be sure he's really okay and that he doesn't want something different and Bruce has thus gotten more inclined to speak up.

After a moment of deliberation he shrugs. "I used to play pool a lot in college. I'm pretty decent at that."

"I like pool," Steve says.

Tony tilts his head and looks at Bruce. "Pretty decent, huh?" Pepper can tell he's looking for a challenge. "Because I'm pretty decent myself, Brucey."

"That so?" Bruce raises an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Think you're decent enough to put your money…" He pauses and then leers. "…where your mouth is." Pepper groans quietly and rolls her eyes because Tony couldn't do subtle if he tried when it comes to this kind of thing.

Pepper studies Bruce carefully and thinks she sees a very slight quirk of his lips, so quick she wonders if Tony had seen it. "Alright. I think I'm good enough to take my chances. But since I don't think Pepper and Steve would be very comfortable with sexual favors, how about we up the stakes. Losers have to make winners a nice dinner of their choosing."

Tony looks hesitant for half a second before going all in with, "Fair enough. But only because your curry is as good as a sexual favor."

Pepper continues to study Bruce and then goes with her gut. "I call Bruce as my partner." The wry, knowing look Bruce gives her in return tells her that her gut is right.

Sure enough, a half an hour later, Tony and Steve are staring at Bruce slack jawed. Steve seems impressed with Bruce's skill and subterfuge, but Tony is mostly just stunned. Pepper can't help but laugh outright at the two men.

"You're a damn pool shark, that's what you are," Tony says once he finds his voice, walking directly over to Bruce with cue still in hand. "A damn pool shark."

Bruce's smile is almost devious as he practically saunters into the remaining personal space between them and levels Tony with a playful gaze. "Guilty."

"That's…" Pepper sees the way Tony's brain stutters a little in search of a response. "I don't know if I'm mad or fucking turned on," he says finally as he places his free hand on Bruce's hip.

Pepper snorts a little. "Let's be honest, Tony. You're probably both, but we all know which one will win out in the end."

She doesn't miss the way his eyes rove downward lustfully. "Damn betcha."

Pepper also sees the exact moment when Bruce gives him a sort of look that says probably something along the lines of, 'Really, you want to make out right here and now?' and tries not to laugh. She looks over to see Steve clearly ignoring them by racking up the pool balls.

Before Tony can get anything more out of Bruce than a playful peck on the lips, the elevator pings open and they all quickly turn their heads to see Phil striding toward them, a serious expression on his face. Pepper is immediately concerned because she knows something's wrong. When she had let him know she had landed safely, he had said he would be working late. Clearly something must have taken precedence for him to have shown up.

"Phil, what's wrong?" she asks, moving over to him quickly. He indulges her in a quick kiss and moves his hand to the small of her back before fixing a gaze on the three Avengers.

"Clint and Natasha didn't confirm extraction. No contact at all which means they've been compromised," he explains. She watches as Tony and Bruce exchange a look and Steve immediately straightens into the pose of a leader. "We sent in one of our agents, Sam Wilson."

"Falcon?" Steve asks, but Pepper thinks he doesn't sound too uncertain of the answer.

"Yes," Phil confirms. "Routine infrared fly over of the base they were undercover at to see if there's any suspicious activity, but we lost contact with him too."

"Well, that's not good," Tony says, making a habit of stating the obvious sometimes.

"No, it's not. We need to up the extraction timetable to yesterday," he clips, tone even but with enough edge to express the importance of what he's saying. "Fury wants Captain America and Iron Man to assist our extraction team just in case we're looking at something that needs a little bit of a bigger gun. But not that big," Phil offers Bruce an apologetic shrug and Pepper's reminded of why she fell for him; he's no nonsense and practical and yet still cares intrinsically for the people he's ordering around.

"I'm perfectly okay with that," Bruce replies.

"Right. So, Rogers, suit up and meet me on the helipad so I can take you to the Quinjet. Stark, suit up and I'll send you the coordinates." He then gives her an equally apologetic smile. "Dinner date tomorrow barring impending doom," he says and then he leaves with Steve following right behind him.

She sighs. It would be nice if either of their lives could slow down long enough to be normal, but she takes it in stride because in spite of everything it works for them and they're happy. "I hope they're okay," she says, turning back to look at Bruce and Tony. They're too busy in their own little world to respond.

She purses her lips and slowly edges closer to hear what they're saying, feeling perhaps a little bit guilty, but she feels a little bit owed it when Tony has done the same to her time and again.

"I guess pops has to fly off to save the kids," Tony says and she doesn't get it, but Bruce seems amused. "Any messages from dad you want me to pass along?"

"Tell Clint not to jump off of any buildings taller than three stories," Bruce replies as though he's truly considering it. "Oh, and tell Natasha she better not even think about hitching any rides on alien flight craft."

"No tall buildings and no alien flight craft. JARVIS, have the Mark IX ready," he takes a quick second to say. "Think we should adopt this Sam Wilson?" Tony then asks as if there was no break in the conversation.

"I've met him once, actually. Seems like a great kid. Not to mention some diversity would do us good. I feel like we're violating affirmative action policies as it stands."

"I'll have somebody check into it with legal," Tony quips. Pepper rolls her eyes a little at that because she knows he wouldn't even know who to send to check into it with legal, besides herself. "And I'll extend the invitation."

"Hey," Bruce then says more seriously just as Tony turns to leave. "Be careful. Don't do anything too stupid."

Tony turns back toward him. "Got it. No missiles into space." Tony kisses him and then just as he pulls away Pepper hears it, slightly muffled against Bruce's lips. "Love you."

"Love you, too," Bruce whispers a little more softly. "Hurry back," he then says louder as Tony rushes for the elevator.

"I'd say don't wait up, but we both know I'd be offended if you didn't," Tony calls back and then leaves.

Pepper lets out a sigh when she's alone with Bruce. "I'd say it gets easier, but it doesn't. One of the reasons I didn't even want to date him was because I didn't like the feeling of never knowing," she indulges him with honesty. "And that was without being in love with him." She then gives him a knowing glance, admitting to him she'd heard. "But I have a pretty good idea of how it would have felt if I had been." She had gone and got involved with Phil in spite of the same risk.

Bruce nods. "I know."

And he doesn't have to say anything more than that for her to believe him. He just has this way of infusing so much meaning into a few words, not that he can't be a man of more than a few words when he needs or wants to be. Being CEO for Stark Industries, she's seen her fair share of geniuses and she recognizes the brilliance that Tony sees and knows that Bruce doesn't have to say a lot of words to prove that he does indeed know what she's referring to even when she doesn't say.

It's times like these when she can understand why bold, brash, ten thousand words a minute, Category 5 Hurricane Tony Stark has fallen in love with him. Because for all of his subtlety, Bruce Banner is his own kind of force of nature and not necessarily a low rumble that turns into an earthquake like most would probably imagine. No, she thinks he's more like a breathtakingly tranquil sky right before a tornado. It's beautiful, alluring, and dangerous, but somebody is always crazy enough to take it as a sign to stand their ground and then chase down the ensuing tornado because it's just what they were born to do. And maybe she understands why Bruce has fallen in love with Tony. He's drawn to the chaos that Tony creates and is strong enough, whether or not he realizes it, to weather that part of him while infusing his own calm to the middle of Tony's storm.

"Maybe it's a good thing they didn't have a chance to pay up," she muses, coming out of her own thoughts.

Bruce laughs softly at that. "Yeah. But he's getting a little bit better. You maybe want some curry anyway?"

She smiles for many different reasons. "I'd love some."

***

"Hey, kiddies," Tony Stark's voice comes over the com, much to Clint's surprise. It's not that he isn't fully aware of Stark's or SHIELD's capabilities to reopen a cut link, but because he's a little surprised that they sent Stark in at all. "Bruce says hi. He also says there is to be no jumping off of buildings higher than three stories or thirty, I can't remember. Oh and no hijacking alien aircraft. Hey, new kid, do you copy?"

Clint hears Natasha's slightly amused snort over the com, but he's more or less confused. "What the hell is he talking about?"

"I have no clue," Steve says, making his presence known.

"I take it I'm the new kid?" Sam asks.

"Well, you don't sound like Natasha, so yeah," Tony chirps in his ear while Clint takes out another AIM lackey from his lookout outside the control room. Natasha is inside the control room gathering as much intel as possible to make up for the bust of an undercover mission. "We make it out of this, Wilson, and you show your stuff, there might just be a spot for you on the team."

"I wasn't aware selecting new members for the initiative was in your pay grade, Stark," Natasha quips.

"Well, speaking of the new kid," Sam says, "I could use some back up. My Exo-7 is down for the count and I'm currently cornered."

"On it," Stark says, but then Steve interjects.

"No, Tony. You're better suited for perimeter. I can get in there quicker."

"What's the point of bringing a big gun if the big gun is reduced to doing Barton's job?"

"You couldn't even begin to do my job, Stark," Clint fires back as he also fires another arrow. He's not sure why the lackeys don't get the point that he's not letting them pass, but it is what it is.

Suddenly there are a few gunshots, a groan and the clanging of heavy metal over the com. Clint looks into the room to make sure it's not Natasha out of a force of habit, but she's looking at him in confusion too.

"Overruling your call, Cap," Tony says.

After a few moments Steve speaks again. "Wilson's been hit twice and he's losing consciousness fast," he tells them, sounding the most worried Clint has ever heard him. Then again, this kind of thing is never easy. "He needs medical fast or he's gonna lose too much blood. Come on, Sam. Stay with me," he then mutters. Clint suddenly realizes it must be the army thing, the fear of losing a fellow soldier that's getting to Steve

"What are you doing?" Steve seems genuinely confused and for a moment there's dead silence. "What do you mean put him in the suit?"

"We don't have time for me to wax poetic about my meaning, Cap," Tony says. "We won't get him out of here and to the Quinjet in time to get him to medical. JARVIS can get him there on autopilot, check his vitals, and send a message to SHIELD to have them ready for his arrival. Did you get that JARVIS?"

 _Yes, sir_ , comes a digitized voice.

"Is that safe?" Clint asks. "To be unconscious in the suit going mach speeds?"

"It beats the alternative," Tony snaps back. "And he's already gone so the answer is yes."

Clint decides he has a point and it really was the only viable solution. "Only now you're unarmed, Stark," he points out as it occurs to him.

"He has a point," Steve says, still sounding worried. "So we either need to find you a way to protect yourself or you need to stick with me until I can get you back to the Quinjet safely. I don't think Dr. Banner will be too happy about you running around here without your suit."

Clint arches a brow, but says nothing as he takes out two AIM agents that he knows are the bigger dogs. Things are about to get serious. AIM is regrouping for a real strike now, no doubt.

"To be fair, I only promised him no missiles into space," Tony counters with a nervous laugh.

"Tony, I'm serious," Steve clips, now sounding entirely out of patience.

"Hey!" Tony clips back. "It's not like I'm thrilled by the prospect of not seeing him again. Okay? So let's just focus on getting out of here in one piece so that I can get back to him. Got it?"

"Sounds like a plan," Steve says, voice returning to its more even tone of command.

Clint's just about to ask who won the bet regarding Stark and Banner when his thoughts are scattered by a screeching alarm. He quickly ducks into the control room to see Natasha hurriedly looking into the problem. Her eyes widen.

"Uh, guys, they just released a chemical agent," she warns them and quickly grabs the flash drive. They both take off running to get out of the building.

"New plan," Steve says, obviously to Stark. "Take my shield and get the hell out of here as fast as you can. Not a lot of chemical agents work on me so go."

"I don't—" Tony starts.

"I'm going to make sure you make it back home to the people who need you, soldier, so that's a damn order," Steve says with so much conviction that a chill goes down Clint's spine as he runs.

Or it could be the chemical agent, he thinks briefly as the world goes black.

***

Bruce knows he's not in any condition to panic, but he had expected an update from somebody by now about the extraction mission.

It had been 18 hours since they'd left and he still hadn't heard a thing. He had tried to wait up long after Pepper had returned to her own apartment. Then he realized he would just keep worrying so he went to bed. Only, the bed was cold and empty and he just lay there clutching Tony's pillow. So he moved to the couch, taking Tony's pillow with him, and resisted the urge to ask JARVIS to give him an update.

But 18 hours later, it starts to become too much. He tries to focus his attention on a project he's working on with SI, but he knows he's so distracted that he'll have to double check his work later before moving the project along or else the whole thing might have to be scrapped.

Running his hand through his hair and then scrubbing his face, he decides maybe now is the time to ask JARVIS for an update. Or maybe he should call SHIELD or even Pepper to see if she's heard from Phil.

_Dr. Banner._

Bruce nearly jumps out of his chair when JARVIS cuts through his thoughts before he can make up his mind. "Yeah, JARVIS?"

_I have finished the scan you requested a few days ago and have come across something that may be of importance._

Bruce's eyes widen. "What is it?"

_Howard Stark had an encoded reference to a SHIELD file. That file still exists on SHIELD servers, but it is a Level 10._

"Okay?" He wonders where JARVIS is going with this, but at least it serves as a nice distraction. "Well, Tony has that new algorithm that finally handles them as long as they're accessible on the server."

_Yes, sir. I am aware. And because Mr. Stark updated my protocols, I am now allowed to automatically decrypt those Level 10 files should they be linked to certain persons or things Mr. Stark is interested in protecting._

Bruce doesn't know whether to sigh or smile. "Like me."

_Yes, sir. As well as himself._

Bruce's mood goes in a third direction as he furrows his brow. "What are you saying?"

_The file contained a string of common numbers which identify that it is linked to Mr. Stark. Therefore I took the liberty of decrypting it. I am now under protocol duress._

"Protocol…" Bruce pauses. "Duress?"

_Yes, sir. It would appear that your conversation with Captain Rogers was not far off the mark. And while it may have happened in the past, my first protocol is to protect Mr. Stark from harm. My second protocol is to protect you so long as doing so does not interfere with the first. Therefore I am not certain who I should share the information in this file with first._

Bruce removes his glasses and plays with them, looking down as they twirl between his fingers. He then stands up and begins to pace in thought. Whatever it is, it pertains to Tony. Whatever it is, JARVIS is concerned enough not to tell Tony outright. He sighs and stops pacing. Curiosity and concern is too much to overcome.

He puts his glasses back on and looks toward one of the sensors. "Okay, JARVIS. I guess… I guess go ahead."

Bruce is suddenly bathed in blue as holographic screens surround him, filled to the brim with files and crude video. It takes him a moment for his eyes to adjust to the sheer extent of the file JARVIS has found. His eyes dart here and there, looking for what to take in first and he spins a few times until he stops sharply. His eyes fixate on a looping video of a very young boy, obviously Tony, on a cold operating table as he squirms away from a doctor with a needle.

"J-JARVIS…" He means to ask the AI exactly what he's looking, but the words don't come out. The pounding in his head and chest tells him maybe he doesn't want to know specifically, even if he can make a good guess of it.

_It would seem at the age of 4 Mr. Stark was subjected to a series of small injections of a formula mixed with Steve Rogers' blood. He was then subjected to testing for the effects of the injections._

Bruce's vision tunnels around him as he focuses all the more on the video. Even without audio feed, he can just hear the protests on little Tony's lips as he squirms away from the doctor until Howard steps onto the screen to chastise him into complying with the injection. He can feel Tony's pain as the little boy wrenches his eyes shut and looks as though he wants to scream. Then he opens his mouth to do so and Bruce's vision floods with green.

He holds his head and feels his muscles start to ripple. "No, not now," Bruce pleads as he spins around slightly, looking for the elevator that leads to the Hulk containment floor. "Not here!" He growls, voice already bleeding into the Hulk's. He pushes through the holographic screens, scattering some of them as he does. "You can't do this here," he pleads some more as he starts to bulge and transform. What's left of his logical mind thinks of the research he's still working on, the money Tony has spent on the lab, the simulations he had still been running on the palladium just in case, and a million other things all of which pertain to his not wanting to hurt Tony in some abstract form or other. So the only thing he can do is beg, voice straining against the bestial one, "Don't hurt Tony!"

As the world is enveloped fully by green that fades to black unconsciousness, Bruce clearly hears the Hulk roar angrily, "STUPID BANNER! HULK NOT HURT TONY!"

***

Tony blinks open his eyes and is greeted by the SHIELD medical bay. He furrows his brow and sits up quickly.

Suddenly everything rushes back to him. A chemical agent had been released at the AIM base and he and Steve had fought their way through the last barrage of agents to get to Natasha and Clint. Clint had already fallen unconscious and Natasha shortly outside the base on the way to the Quinjet. Tony fell unconscious shortly after they reached it.

Tony groans a little as his tight muscles attempt to adjust to the waking world and his quick motion of sitting up, but otherwise he doesn't feel too bad.

"You're just full of all kinds of surprises aren't you, Stark?" Tony turns his head and sees Coulson sitting nearby.

"How are the others?" Tony asks, scrubbing his face a little and reaching for the glass of water on the side table.

"They'll all make a full recovery," Coulson answers. "But it'll be a while. Barton a little bit longer than Romanoff." Coulson looks at him with a raised brow. "You on the other hand… You were exposed for just as long as they were, according to Rogers you didn't become unconscious until much longer than both of them, and now you're already up and about. Just how many times are you going to cheat death?"

Tony shakes his head and sets the glass back down. "You are in no position to ask me that question," he says with a snort. "How about Sam?" He changes the subject.

"Well, thanks to your quick thinking with the suit, he should be fine too," Coulson replies. "He's still unconscious though." Suddenly Coulson's phone rings and he scrunches his face. "That's Pepper's tone," he says and pulls out the phone to answer it.

Tony listens on in slight concern as Phil speaks with her. "He's right here," Coulson says and Tony tilts his head. "Yeah he's fine, but—" His eyes widen. "Okay, I'll tell him. I don't know if medical will clear him yet though. Of course I'll see what I can do. Just—"

"What's going on?" Tony demands to know.

"Pepper, hold on a moment," Phil says to her and pulls the phone away. He fixes him with a concerned look. "JARVIS alerted Pepper that Dr. Banner had an incident about an hour ago."

"What!?" Tony scrambles to his feet. "Where's my suit?"

"It's in Wilson's room, but you really need to get cleared with medical…" He starts, but Tony doesn't stay to hear the rest of the argument.

He hurries down the hall, checking each room until he finds the one Sam is in. "Mr. Stark?" A medic checking on the unconscious man looks at him in disbelief.

"Where's my suit?" Tony wonders aloud and Steve, sitting in a chair at Sam's bedside, startles awake.

"Tony?" He looks at him in slight confusion.

"No time for small talk," Tony waves a hand at him as he spots his suit. "Gotta get back to the tower."

"Is everything…" Steve glances at the medic. "Situation of some kind with the… business?"

Tony rolls his eyes, but he'll probably be grateful for Steve's attempt to ask about Bruce covertly later. "Yep," he answers.

"Sir, I realize that your recovery time is nothing short of amazing," the medic starts and Tony rolls his eyes again, "truly a statistical implausibility," she continues, "but you should still be on bed rest."

"Thanks, but Tony Stark doesn't do bed rest," he says as he enters the suit and hurries out again. "Talk to me, JARVIS," he says once he's on route back to the tower. "What happened? Do we have footage? Did he make it to the Hulk floor? You better not tell me he took off."

_Sir, I shared information with Dr. Banner per my protocol to protect you and I am afraid it was more than he could handle. I am truly sorry, sir. I did not mean to cause an incident. We do have footage._

"Jeez, J. What the hell did you share with him?" Tony asks in disbelief. "Never mind. Let me see the footage." The HUD lights up with footage from Bruce's lab. He narrows his eyes at the slight distortion around him. "Is he surrounded by holoscreens, JARVIS?"

_Yes, sir. The information I shared with him._

Tony watches and listens as Bruce pleads with the Hulk not to come out yet as he runs toward the elevator. He furrows his brow at why Bruce would ask Hulk not to hurt him, but it's short lived as the Hulk takes over and immediately roars—

"STUPID BANNER! HULK NOT HURT TONY!"

"Well, that's encouraging," Tony responds and continues to watch with a studious gaze.

Bruce didn't make it to the elevator and so Tony watches as Hulk turns back around and runs towards a series of holographic screens that hadn't been scattered when Bruce ran for the elevator. The items in the lab shake behind him and Tony winces as a few items shatter or break, but it's immediately clear that the Hulk isn't intentionally attempting to destroy the lab. Rather, he's attempting to destroy whatever it is on the holographic screens that the security footage can't quite pick up.

The Hulk stops in front of the screens and roars, fists prepared to smash. "MEAN MEN HURT TONY! HURT TONY LIKE HURT BANNER! HULK SMASH MEAN MEN!"

And so Hulk smashes, fists pounding straight through the holographic screens and down to the lab floor. Tony winces again, knowing Bruce will be upset about it. However, he's more confused about Hulk's anger toward mean men hurting him like they'd hurt Bruce.

"Cut the feed," Tony instructs as he reaches the tower. "Where is he now, JARVIS?"

_Dr. Banner is in the lab, sir._

Tony makes a beeline for said lab as soon as he's free of the suit, stopping only for clothes should Bruce still need them. Once there he finds Bruce is definitely himself. Or mostly. He looks like he's in the final stages of changing back to himself as he lies unconscious in the crater Hulk had made with his fists. Tony looks around at the lab and realizes that whatever had happened between his anger at the start of the incident and his transformation back Hulk hadn't done any further damage.

"Good job, Big Guy," he says fondly. "JARVIS, what else you got for me about the situation?"

_After I assured him that the mean men were already dead and unable to hurt you, and then explained to him that I would not hurt him either, the Hulk calmed down significantly. He sat down in the spot Dr. Banner is still in and was silent for a long time. Toward the end, however, he grumbled some more about 'Stupid Banner' and not hurting you. He seemed rather insistent he would protect you. He then began to transform back._

Tony bites his top lip in consideration of what JARVIS has told him as he moves over to the couch and reaches for the throw over the back of it. He brings it over to where Bruce lays, finally fully himself again though still unconscious. He crouches down and drapes it over him and then settles down beside him, pulling him into his arms.

***

Bruce feels arms around him as he wakes from his transformation, and he knows it's a transformation he's waking from because it feels too familiar. He would panic about being held if not for the fact that the hold is familiar too.

"Tony…" Bruce says in a strained voice as he opens his eyes.

Tony opens his as well and smiles. "Welcome back."

A small smile touches his own lips at just Tony being there for him at this moment. But then he furrows his brow. "The mission…"

Tony's smile turns into a frown and he groans. "A disaster," he says, helping them both upright. Bruce looks around at the crater they were laying in. "They made the wrong call on the big guns. Could have used the Other Guy."

Bruce sighs. "Yeah, maybe then I wouldn't have…" He looks around at the only minimally damaged lab in confusion.

"Hey, it's fine. You handled it. The Big Guy handled it. Think you can handle telling me what happened? JARVIS said something about information he shared with you and Hulk seemed pretty insistent that he wanted to protect me."

Bruce's mouth falls open as he remembers everything. "I heard him, Tony. I heard the Hulk. He… He said he wouldn't hurt you."

Tony smiles as if he knows a secret. "Yes, he did say that. And I've got the footage to prove it."

Bruce blinks and runs a hand through his hair. He doesn't know what to do with his incident at the moment so he moves on. "I know why you're afraid of doctors." He looks over at Tony hesitantly.

"Okay. That's not exactly the bridge in the conversation I was expecting, but yeah?" Tony looks at him questioningly.

Bruce takes a deep breath and nods. Now that the shock has worn off and most of his energy is spent, he thinks he can handle the conversation.

"When you were four your father… Howard, he…" Bruce shakes his head and looks Tony in the eyes, hoping he can see the empathy he has. "He subjected you to a series of treatments and tests using a vial of Steve's blood."

Tony looks at him with wide eyes, but Bruce continues. "JARVIS found a Level 10 security file on SHIELD's server. It's filled with notes and videos and who knows what else. I, uh, I didn't have time to study it too closely. There was this video of you… with your father and a doctor and…" Bruce wrenches his eyes shut for a moment and when he opens them again Tony looks far away. "Hey, hey, Tony," he says gently and moves a hand to the back of Tony's neck.

Tony hangs his head, eyes closing. He shakes it minutely and Bruce begins rubbing soothing circles against Tony's nape with his thumb. Suddenly Tony moves so that his head drops to Bruce's shoulder and he shrinks a little all too much like a frightened child; Bruce knows the gesture by heart and too much of that is from his own firsthand experience.

Bruce knows that Tony needs time to come back to him from wherever he's retreated to and simply holds him. He gives to Tony what Tony is always ready and willing to give to him when he needs it most. Several long minutes, Bruce loses track, pass before Tony starts to respond again. He stretches out again so that he's less frightened child and more wounded man.

When he finally does speak, he mutters bitterly, "I always knew I wasn't Captain America. I just didn't know how literal dad meant it."

"Tony, look at me please," Bruce urges him in a low voice, keeping the forcefulness out of it. It's a supplication, not a demand because that's not what Tony needs right now.

Tony complies, searching his face as if it holds the answers. Bruce selfishly hopes that in some small way it does.

"What am I supposed to think now, Bruce?" Tony asks him before he can say anything further. "My dad tried to make me Steve, but obviously it didn't take. It just did enough to make me some kind of… of…" He grits his teeth as his sentence trails. "I'm not Captain America, but now I know I’m tainted by him and I don't know what that means. How much of who I am is because of that?"

Bruce shakes his head and brings a hand to one side of Tony's face. "Listen to me," he says, this time forcefully enough so that Tony will know it's important. "You're not Captain America because _you_ are Iron Man." Bruce moves his hand from Tony's face down to the arc reactor in his chest. "This is not something Captain America could have accomplished. Your suits? JARVIS?" He looks around them. "This tower? None of that is because of anything other than what's in here," Bruce points to his heart, "and what's in here," he taps one side of Tony's forehead as Tony looks at him with intense eyes.

"You're brilliant, Tony," Bruce continues after a pregnant pause, "and Steve's blood has nothing to do with that. We'll have to study the notes, but all it seems to have done is made you healthy enough to stick around and grace us with your brilliance. And I'm sure as hell not going to begrudge that because you should have been dead, Tony. We know that now." He looks at him intently. "That much palladium should have killed you."

"That sounds familiar," Tony says with a ghost of a smile and Bruce is more than willing to humor him if it gets a point across.

"Yeah, it does." He nods. "Whatever Howard did, whatever Steve's blood did, it saved your life."

"Saved it for what?" Tony asks purposely.

Bruce smiles and leans his forehead against Tony's. "For me I hope." In fact, he hopes that they were both saved for each other.

They're both tainted maybe, but together because of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so the whole time I was writing this chapter I was thinking BRUCE JUST PUT ON A CONDOM. But the point is that Bruce, being Bruce, overreacts to the point that he thinks any sexual activity is dangerous and Tony has to slowly make him see reason and trust him. (AKA fail!logic for the purpose of narrative.) 
> 
> Through a lot of writing this chapter I would randomly imagine the first verse and the chorus of Lionel Richie's "Stuck On You" playing in the background like some cheesy soundtrack. Actually most of this chapter was written to my playlist of 80s music.


	2. Taken

_Tony squirms on the operating table with teeth clenched and sweat pouring from his skin. He watches in dread as the faceless doctor fills another needle with some unknown concoction and the red of blood taints it thoroughly._

_"Stop," he growls desperately. "It's not going to work. I'm not Captain America!"_

_"Oh, but you will be. One way or another, we'll make the serum work."_

_"You can't do this to me," he protests helplessly. "I'm not a boy anymore. I won't let you." He knows it's a lost cause since he's strapped to the table and his cries no doubt will continue to fall on deaf ears._

_"I think you will. Or else do we need to find ourselves another guinea pig," the doctor asks in a threatening tone and turns his faceless head away._

_Tony struggles against the straps to raise his head and look to see what he could possibly mean. When his eyes meet with the leverage of the threat fear surges through his already miserable existence stronger than he's ever felt it before._

_"Bruce," he gasps the man's name in horror at the sight of him strapped to a different table and drugged unconscious. "No," he growls angrily and fights all the more against his straps, a reminder that he hasn't gained any truly great strength from the serum yet and likely never will. "No, you can't touch him. Don't you dare touch him!" He repeats himself madly._

_"What we do with Banner will depend on what you do for us," the doctor says evenly._

_Tony closes his eyes tight and his head falls back onto the table with a thud that would hurt worse if not for all of his own pain being currently undermined by his need to protect Bruce._

_"Why?" He mutters the question in defeat._

_"It's simple, Tony." Tony's eyes fly open to see Howard's cold, blank expression looming over him. "You'll always be my greatest creation."_

_Tony's eyes widen and he screams out in agony as the needle pierces his arm._

"Tony. _Tony_. Tony, please wake up." Bruce's gentle voice breaks through his nightmare and brings him back to the waking world with a frenzied, breathless start.

Tony looks around the room, taking in his surroundings to make sure he's safe. Bruce immediately sits down beside him on the couch and places a steadying hand on his shoulder. He's more than relieved to see him safe and sound as well. He lets out a heavy sigh and runs a hand through his hair, finding it damp from sweat.

"Just a nightmare," Tony mutters and lets out another breath.

"Are you okay?" Bruce asks in a worried tone. He then looks down and a frown touches his face as he picks up the Starkpad that had likely fallen to the floor at some point during the fitful nap. Bruce scans the file open on the screen and then sets the tablet aside again. "Tony, I thought we agreed not to look at the files anymore unless absolutely necessary."

Bruce looks at him with such tender concern that Tony almost can't meet his eyes. "I know," he says and shakes his head guiltily. "I just… I got to thinking about everything again and, you know me. I went looking for something new, something we may have missed and…" Tony sighs. "I know," he says again weakly.

Bruce wraps his arms around him in a side hug and with one hand cradles Tony's head against his own. Tony closes his eyes and allows himself to get lost in the comforting embrace.

"I understand," Bruce says softly. "I know why you can't help it. But we've been all through those files. We know what happened and we have a pretty good idea all of the side effects. You're strong, you're healthy, things don't affect you as quickly as they do other people, and you're fantastic in bed," he adds in a clear effort to amuse him.

Tony smiles in spite of everything because he can't help himself. "Aren't you lucky?" He asks in his own attempt at humor.

"The luckiest," Bruce answers the rhetorical question in a sentimental tone. "And, honestly, that's all we need to know right now, okay?" He gets back to the previous point. "Everything else is a trigger, Tony. And all that happens is you read the files and you get yourself worked up again and when it's all said and done we only know the same things we knew before." And never the answer to Tony's most lingering question of why. "I love you, Tony, but I wish you would stop doing this to yourself."

Tony opens his eyes. He turns his head and pulls it back just enough to meet Bruce's gaze. "I'll try harder," he promises. He just hopes he can keep it.

"Do you want to talk through it again?" Bruce offers in patient askance. "Did something in particular get you to thinking about everything?"

"I ran into Steve downstairs in the common lounge when I went to talk to Clint about his new arrowheads," Tony replies, glancing away.

"Tony, maybe we should just tell him what happened," Bruce suggests, not for the first time. "Maybe clearing the air will stop him from being another trigger."

Tony worries his lip and shakes his head. "No. It's not his fault. And I don't need his sympathy or apologies," he replies, a little prideful in tone. "It wasn't Steve exactly anyway. He mentioned Sam—"

"How is he?" Bruce interjects. Tony suspects he's trying to focus on something less triggering so he indulges him.

"About to lose his mind in SHIELD medical apparently," he answers with a small laugh. "Steve was asking if maybe it'd be possible for him to move into his apartment with him. Get him out of there."

"That's nice of him," Bruce comments.

"It was awkward as hell actually," Tony adds with a scrunch of his face. "Felt like I really _was_ pops and he was asking if I'd let his best friend come stay the night or something."

Bruce laughs and it chases away a great deal of his lingering distress from the nightmare. "You know, biologically he's what 27? 28? Technically, we _are_ old enough to be his father if it had been a teen pregnancy."

Tony's eyes widen and he becomes melodramatic at the prospect. "No, don't say that. La la la, I did _not_ just hear that. Nope." Bruce laughs some more at his antic as Tony shakes his head. "But seriously, I refuse to consider that. He was friends with my dad, but now I'm technically old enough to be _his_ dad? Yeah, that's… It's too weird."

"Okay, skip it," Bruce relents, still smiling. "So what did you tell him?"

"I told him it was fine. That we were going to extend the invitation for him to join us anyway." Tony's mood falls when he considers the next part. "Thing is, he still needs a medic to check on him regularly. And Steve wasn't sure how I felt having his current SHIELD medic cleared to take care of him here since she's not an Avenger."

"Oh," Bruce says in clear understanding and reaches for his hand. "Having a medic around right now isn't exactly ideal." He says it as if he agrees entirely and Tony is grateful for that.

"No, but I can't hide from this forever. Wilson needs medical care and I'd like to give him the luxury of staying here instead of at SHIELD. So I said yes."

Bruce doesn't look surprised by that bit of information. "And then you came up here and started reading the files instead of talking to me about it." Bruce manages not to sound disappointed or disapproving, but Tony suspects it's still the case.

"You were meditating," Tony points out. "And you seemed pretty far out of it. I didn't want to disturb you. Actually, I kind of find it mildly disturbing seeing you that far gone so I just tend to look the other way. You've been doing it a lot more lately," he adds and studies him.

"Yeah, I guess I have," Bruce admits. "But it's not exactly pleasant being ripped from a trance by the sounds of your boyfriend screaming in his sleep so I wish you would have tried to wake me to talk instead."

Tony furrows his brow. "I was actually screaming in my sleep?" Bruce nods and Tony sighs. "Yeah, okay. Next time we talk first."

"We can still talk some more now," Bruce points out.

Tony is most certainly not in the mood to talk any more about it. Having just woken from that kind of nightmare and having Bruce's warm presence makes him want something a little more physical, tangible.

"No, I don't want to think anymore about it now. Besides," he glances at his watch, "I seem to recall a little bet we have coming up." He raises a playful eyebrow.

Bruce rolls his eyes in amusement. "Okay, but what does that have to do wi- _mm_." Bruce makes a startled noise against his lips, but then settles into the kiss without further protest.

"I need to make sure I get in as many kisses as I can before midnight," Tony explains with a smile when he breaks the kiss momentarily. "Don't want to waste time talking. This is more effective therapy anyway."

Bruce smiles too. "Oh, well, then by all means continue," he says playfully and their lips meet in a devouring kiss.

***

Natasha is walking through the gathering of awkward scientists, snotty executives, elite board members and other rich guests all celebrating New Year's Eve at 404 NYC, courtesy of Stark Industries, when she halts her steps suddenly. She tilts her head, a small indulgent smile forming as she takes in the sight of the moon-eyed host himself, gaze distant and fixated on a point that Natasha doesn't have to turn her head to know is Dr. Banner. But Tony looks so enamored, like he could be the poorest man in the room and would still be the richest, that she can't help but feel compelled to follow his gaze as if in doing so she'll be akin to someone being given a rare chance to glimpse at a treasure.

The scene that her eyes meet with _is_ a rarity. Bruce is mingling with a few people she knows – from her extensive study of Stark Tower for security purposes – to be SI scientists as well as Dr. Selvig and Dr. Foster whom both had been invited to work with SHIELD full time. Not only is Bruce mingling he looks to be thoroughly enjoying himself. He looks comfortable and in his element and he even smiles and chuckles from time to time. But while it's pleasant seeing him open up the scene is entirely ordinary and by no means worth Tony's enamored expression.

So when she looks back at Tony it dawns on her that somewhere over the past seven months, while people were coming to grips with the existence of monsters and aliens and heroes, while lives were rebuilding, while the world kept spinning on and she and Clint were expected to move onto the next potential threat, while nobody was looking the two men did more than just rebuild their own lives together. They'd gone and, maybe foolishly, fallen in love.

When undercover as Natalie Rushman she'd come to the firm conclusion that it wasn't in Tony's capacity to feel anything too deeply because he just wouldn't let it happen. She was of the belief that Pepper could do better and that Tony would never stick.

"Who would have thought?" She voices her opinion in a low, even tone as she moves to stand near him.

"Definitely not me," Tony answers, understanding, and the conviction in his tone and the very slow, deliberate, clearly reluctant, way he turns his gaze away from Bruce to give his attention to her tells her that her initial conclusion might have been wrong after all.

A masochistic curiosity rushes over her and she asks, "What is it that makes him different?" The question, if posed more accurately maybe should have been: _How is it that after all these years not believing in this sort of thing, not being any good at it, you still managed to find it?_

Tony looks down at the small bit of floor space between them for a long moment. Long enough that she starts to wonder if he doesn't really have an answer and is settling on which generic answer lifted straight from a Hallmark card will most convince her.

"Honestly?" He finally shrugs a little and looks back across the crowded space. Natasha follows his gaze again and Bruce is barely visible beyond the new partygoers that have settled into a spot in between, mingling, but Tony still looks as though he can see the physicist as clearly as if he were right there with them both. "Every time I think I've figured out the answer something else comes along that makes me think maybe it's that instead."

Tony laughs softly at nothing in particular and then a few people move and they have an unobstructed view of the other man again. Bruce must sense their eyes on him because he looks over toward them and for a moment his eyes lock on Tony's like it's the most natural thing in the world and he smiles a smile that somehow seems reserved just for the engineer even if it doesn't look much different than his other smiles. Or maybe she's already had a few too many glasses of champagne and is feeling dangerously close to compromising her hard-earned persona of disinterest.

"You know, I'm starting to wonder if it's not a matter of what makes him different," Tony says after the pause in the conversation, pulling her back from the war inside her. She glances at him expectantly. "I just think it's because he's right."

Natasha lifts a well-practiced eyebrow. "That seems a little naïve for someone like you," she states.

"Maybe," Tony says with a shrug. "But I'd also say it's lower on my list of things I don't believe in these days. Frankly, after seeing the other side of space it's even a little reassuring that finding the love of your life is possible."

"Fair enough," Natasha concedes even if she isn't entirely convinced. "You golden-spooned asshole," she says then with an irreverent snort if only to change the mood a little.

He barks out a quiet laugh and ducks his head just a touch, eyes still looking across the way at Bruce. "It's a diamond-encrusted golden spoon actually."

"Of course it is," she replies. "Some people are just born with all the privilege." She had definitely not been one of them. Neither had Clint. And she's aware of Bruce's traumatic childhood as well. Other than Mr. Prince of Asgard himself, that leaves Tony as— "Tony?"

Natasha focuses her attention on him, eyes narrowing just a fraction to indicate her confusion. The billionaire looks distant, almost lost. He seems to have forgotten she's even there. Before she can try to get his notice, Bruce is joining them and she glances back and forth between them realizing Bruce is there out of concern. She briefly wonders how he had sensed it from all the way across the room.

"Hey, you two," he starts casually and it's painfully obvious he's attempting to insert himself into the situation without calling further attention to whatever it is that's taken hold of Tony. It's sweet. He's awful at it, but it's sweet. "Oh, I see what's going on here," Bruce then says. "Nice try, but you're not winning the bet that easily."

As if nothing strange had happened, Tony blinks and returns to his jovial self. Natasha blinks too. Was it really a cheap trick to win the bet?

After they had all teased the two men that they couldn't go 48 hours without kissing one another, although they – and Steve for some reason – had insisted they might be surprised, the two men had come up with a silly bet that whoever cracked first over a set amount of time prior to midnight on New Year's and initiated a kiss would be subjected to doing whatever, with the exception of sexual favors, the other wanted on New Year's Day. It's been amusing to watch seeing as both men occasionally go to kiss the other on instinct only to pull away at the last moment and it's also turned into both men attempting to seduce the other into cracking. She and the others had also made bets on who would win.

But, again, she wonders at this supposed new tactic even as Tony laughs it off – albeit in a nervous sort of way – with a, "You caught me. Sorry. Didn't mean to worry you."

"Well," Bruce says with a pointed look, "we may have to discuss it later, but I'll let it slide for now."

There's something to the way they look at each other then, like there's something unspoken transpiring between them. Of course, Natasha is nothing if not always reading between the lines and picking up on cues. Sometimes she wonders if she's done it for so long that she imagines things on occasion. Maybe this is one of those occasions.

"Hey, uh," Steve interrupts before Natasha can make a further study of it, "I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to head out."

Tony looks at him in disbelief and whatever had been going on with him before is promptly forgotten. "The ball doesn't even drop for another couple of hours."

"Yeah, I know, but…" He shrugs.

Bruce smiles thinly, almost teasing. "Maybe Steve has a date elsewhere, Tony." Tony's disbelief increases.

Steve coughs. "I, uh, I do. I mean, that is, I already have plans. I promised Sam I'd visit. He said something about getting a television rigged up so he could watch some movie called _Back To The Future_. It's a tradition of his or something." He shrugs again, clearly uncertain.

"Oh, well, then what are you waiting for?" Tony begins to shoo him away. "Go, go, go! You can't miss that." Steve continues to just seem confused.

Bruce chuckles. "It _is_ really good. Have fun, Steve. Wish Sam a happy new year for us."

"And me," Natasha offers, watching Steve depart with a raised eyebrow.

***

Bruce meanders through the venue, that's somehow only managed to get more crowded as the night has worn on, on his way back from the restroom. He doesn't enjoy the crowd, but it's not overly rambunctious at least and the Other Guy knows he's there for Tony. Tony who seems to have disappeared in the time since he'd gone…

"He's with security shooing off some kind of party crasher," Pepper says when she spies him. She's holding two drinks as she stands near the bar, one no doubt Phil's since the man isn't with her.

Bruce turns his head toward the nearest exit in concern. "Anything serious?"

"Oh I don't think so," Pepper says reassuringly. "But Phil went with him just in case," she offers.

Bruce studies her for a moment. Maybe he's just a little more worried than usual at the moment on Tony's behalf, but something seems off about the scenario. Tony being asked to go speak with security as the host of the party is one thing. It's another thing entirely for Phil to think he may be needed. Unless maybe Phil's concerned about Avenger security, he considers.

"I'm sure he's fine, Bruce," Pepper breaks through his thoughts with a confident tone and quirk of her lips to one side.

"Right. Of course." Bruce nods.

Pepper takes a sip of her drink and when she pulls it away she glances down into it. Bruce braces himself for whatever seems to be on her mind.

"Is everything okay?" She glances up at him then questioningly. "With Tony I mean? Well, with both of you, of course. But it just seems like… Tony's been sort of, well, I don't know what word I'm looking for. But he seems a little off like when he was dying and keeping it a secret." She shrugs as if at a loss.

Bruce's stomach lurches at the trigger word. He's glad Tony isn't around. There's never any telling when he might respond poorly to something that reminds him of what he now knows about himself. And Tony had already had a moment earlier that night so may be more on edge than normal.

"He's… been a little tense lately," Bruce attempts to answer without answering. "We're both okay if you're concerned about anything like that," he reassures her and she seems to deflate a little in relief. "But, honestly, I think there's a lot going on right now. With the team moving in and some leftover nerves from that last mission and…" He hesitates. "Maybe some leftover nerves from the poisoning scare," he finishes deliberately.

Pepper nods. "I suppose that makes sense," she says. "Maybe the two of you should take a break. Head out to Malibu or something," she suggests with the hitch of a shoulder.

She suddenly smiles in a friendly way toward someone and it's the only warning Bruce gets before there's a more than friendly hand squeezing his right shoulder before smoothing down to settle along the small of his back.

"That is an excellent idea. I vote we do that," Tony says enthusiastically, looking at him.

"Well, I've never been to Malibu," Bruce replies playfully. But then he gives Tony a curious glance because there's something that feels intentional, a tad bit possessive even, about how Tony's hand is on him. It's usually what happens when he needs reassurance that Bruce is still tangible and by extension still his. "So party crasher huh?" He raises an eyebrow.

"Oh, yeah. These things happen," Tony replies flippantly so Bruce decides to leave it be.

"Your hand, Tony?" Bruce then points out to him. They're still not officially public after all.

Tony lets his hand fall with a sigh. "I'm a tactile person," he states matter-of-factly. He then looks at his watch and brightens. "Hey, let's ditch this scene, Bruce," he says.

"What are you up to?" Bruce decides to ask the question straightway.

"Well, if you must know," Tony says with a smirk, "it's almost midnight. And at midnight I can officially kiss you again. And if we're worried about my hand on your back then I don't think kissing each other senseless here is the best idea."

Bruce blinks. "Oh." He looks around and at Pepper who is smiling into her drink and finally at Tony again. "In that case, lead the way," he says with his own smile.

"You two have fun." Pepper gives them a knowing look as Tony starts to pull him away, discreetly by his elbow.

"Only if you and Phil do the same," Tony quips back.

"Happy new year, Pepper," Bruce offers.

"You too," she replies and that's the last of the conversation because then he and Tony are weaving through the guests in a direction the latter man chooses.

It isn't long before they're both back at home... or, well, that is the tower. He doesn't want to think about how easy it is to call the unusual habitat his home. Especially when he'd thought he'd never truly have that again.

"Just you and me and the Manhattan skyline," Tony says wistfully as they stand outside on the landing pad of the tower. Tony's arm is entirely around his waist now that they're alone and Bruce reciprocates.

"It would maybe be more romantic if it wasn't so cold," Bruce responds with a chilled laugh, breath visible like smoke. "Even _I_ think it's cold, Tony," he adds pointedly and glances sideways at him just to make sure Tony's face isn't frostbitten or something.

"What? No, no… it's…" Tony can't seem to finish. "Yeah, okay, it's freezing out here."

"How about we forget about New Year's Eve clichés and go inside where it's warm," Bruce says with another chuckle and practically drags his boyfriend back into the tower. "See, this is much better," he says in an intentionally patronizing tone.

"Hmm, nope," Tony says in that playful tone of his, "I'm still close to catching hypothermia here. I may need something else to warm me up. I believe there's this technique where you use skin-to-skin body heat," he says with an eager grin.

Bruce rolls his eyes, playing coy, and turns to walk toward the elevator. "Well, while you're looking for someone to offer skin-to-skin body heat, I'm going to be upstairs with a fireplace and maybe some hot tea."

Tony follows behind him quickly. “I thought we were avoiding clichés," he teases.

“I’m making tea. It’s only cliché if something bubbly is involved," Bruce explains like it's a known fact.

"Ten minutes until midnight, Dr. Banner," he says when they're in the elevator. "Your self-control is breathtaking." He smirks.

Bruce sighs melodramatically. "Hmm, yeah, and it does seem like such a waste of an elevator ride just the two of us." He gives his own smirk when Tony's eyes darken slightly. He sometimes still can't believe that Tony looks at _him_ like that of all people. It doesn't make sense.

Tony takes a step forward, but luckily for him the elevator is fast enough that he doesn't give in before they're at their apartment. Bruce feels just as disappointed as Tony looks. Still, he has a feeling at this point the serum is working overtime trying to figure out why they've been denying their desire, and very likely more so for Tony of course which reminds him to back off and not take advantage of his intense libido just to win a bet.

"You can start the fire," Bruce instructs and heads toward the kitchen. "Do you want anything hot to drink?"

"If he's offering," Tony says in a casual tone, but when Bruce's brain catches up with him and he glances quickly over his shoulder he sees the slight leer on Tony's face that tells him what he really wants.

"Soon," Bruce promises them both and briefly wonders if it's a waste to make anything to drink. It likely is, but he makes it just the same and returns to find Tony sitting on the couch with, as a joke no doubt, _Back to the Future_ on the television.

Bruce sets the drink on the end table and Tony practically drags him down onto the couch with him. "If we can't kiss, I'm at least going to spend the rest of the year cuddling with you like the sap you've turned me into," he mumbles as if it's some horrible crime even as his fake scowl fades into a smile.

"I guess I can mark that off my list then," Bruce banters back. "One of my resolutions for the year was to make a handsome billionaire fall in love with me and become a sap."

"That's very specific," Tony replies teasingly. He then goes quiet for a short moment. "You know, I think this has been the best year of my life."

Bruce wants to agree, but instead he deflects with, "Was it the alien invasion?"

Tony laughs softly. "Yeah. Yeah I guess you could put it that way. It brought you to me."

Bruce starts to reply when JARVIS interrupts with—

_Sirs, it is almost midnight. Allow me to countdown for you._

Bruce raises an amused eyebrow while Tony eagerly acquiesces. A few seconds later, the AI begins.

_Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, fi—_

Suddenly Tony's lips are against his, kissing him senseless as promised. It's a long kiss that lasts well beyond the explosion of fireworks outside and JARVIS' intonation for them to have a happy new year. When they finally break apart they're both breathless and Bruce is a bit dizzy.

"You kissed me on purpose," he accuses in a whisper with a small furrow of his brow. "You could have held out five more seconds."

"No. I couldn't have," Tony says with a shake of his head. He brings one hand to cup Bruce's jaw and stares longingly between his eyes and his lips. "I wanted kissing you to be the last thing I did last year and the first thing I did this year." Tony captures his lip quickly once more as Bruce's eyes widen at the statement and then close in contentment. "And the second," he says and predictably kisses him again before continuing with, "and the third…"

Bruce can't possibly hold Tony to the bet after a response like that.

***

Bruce whimpers a little in his sleep and Tony pauses in his slow worship of Bruce's skin, currently the juncture at his left hip, to look up at his face. It's marked by the tell-tale signs of Bruce's pleasure and, feeling more than a little besotted, Tony immediately moves back with new fervor to suck just a little harder and bite just enough to break a vessel beneath the skin.

" _Tony,_ " Bruce gasps his name, still sounding far away from the waking world and if Tony hadn't already been sporting as much of a morning erection as he'd notice Bruce was, he would be now. He loves hearing Bruce respond to him, want him even subconsciously. He wonders if Bruce is waking up and aware or if his mind is responding with dreams of them.

Tony laves at the mark he's made and then nuzzles his way lower to Bruce's inner thigh. He gets the answer to his previous question when nimble hands slowly creep into his hair. He glances up to see the thin smile that has joined Bruce's pleasured look; he's definitely aware now and encouraging him.

Tony is all too eager without Bruce's fingers pulling lightly at his short hairs and wastes no more time in reaching his target. That isn't to say he's in a rush either. On the contrary, Tony means to thoroughly pleasure Bruce and drags it out for as long as possible. Bruce is more than awake, panting and writhing obscenely, by time he finds release.

Tony finishes him off and then relishes in watching him come back down from his high. He himself is aching for release and seeing Bruce in this state, so beautiful and sated and all for him, is nearly enough to take him over that edge. He'll do absolutely anything and everything to make sure nothing, _nobody_ , takes this privilege away from him.

Bruce's eyes finally flutter open as his ragged breathing begins to find a steady rhythm again thanks to the physicist's amazing control. He lifts his head off the pillow just a little to look at him with those eyes half-lidded and perfectly glossy, a spoiled and goofy smile forming as he does.

"Good morning to you too, Tony," he says sounding so very content.

Tony responds by repositioning so that he's braced over Bruce and capturing that smile and contentment to memory with a kiss. It's the kind of kiss that starts off lazy for all of ten seconds before becoming wanton and open and relentless. It only breaks when Bruce reaches between their bodies to take hold of him.

Tony pulls away from Bruce's lips with a hiss and a desperate sounding, " _Fuck_."

"I've got you, Tony," Bruce mumbles huskily as he works him at precisely the pace he needs. Tony arches forward and lets his head drop down as his own breathing grows short and fast. "You should have let me sooner," Bruce admonishes gently.

Tony shakes his head and groans a little. "It was worth it," he forces out. Bruce doesn't reply, just focuses all of his skill into bringing him the pleasurable release he craves.

As his vision whites out, the only coherent thing Tony's brain can manage is Bruce's name. When he's recovered again, lying on his back and feeling hazy around the edges, he turns his head to look at Bruce with a smile.

Bruce repeats his movement and meets his gaze. He then repeats Tony's earlier statement questioningly. "It was worth it?"

"You should know by now I think spoiling you rotten is always worth it," Tony answers with an even wider smile. "Sap now, remember?"

"Ah," Bruce tones lazily as if he's forgotten. He then chuckles softly and scoots in closer so their heads are leaning into one another where their pillows meet. "Thank you."

"Besides," Tony continues conversationally, "just because you couldn't ask for a sexual favor after winning the bet doesn't mean I couldn't offer one freely."

"You mean the bet you _let_ me win?" Bruce asks incredulously, voice still a little lower and rougher than usual as it often is in the morning. "Hardly seems fair."

"You still technically won and the others will ask since they've got their bets going," Tony points out. "And maybe I want to do whatever you want to do today. Did you think of that? Or do I need to repeat the part about spoiling you rotten?" Tony asks playfully.

"No, you've made it pretty clear," Bruce says and squeezes Tony's hand, the two extremities having laced together at some point without his even realizing it in his blissful state. "I'm not sure you can spoil me any more rotten, Tony," he adds somewhere between playful and sentimental. "Just being with you is enough."

Tony smiles at that and they lay there in silence for a few more minutes. Finally the need to get clean is a little too strong and so Tony turns a little to look at Bruce meaningfully. "Shower?" He gives him a beckoning shrug of his head to join him. Bruce hums in agreement. Tony lingers long enough in bed to give him another kiss. "So, did you have anything in mind for today?"

"Well, there was _one_ thing," Bruce admits.

***

Steve is mostly ignoring everything going on around him in the media lounge as Clint and Thor play a video game and Natasha and Jane chat about something or another. It's one of those moments he feels like he sort of just doesn't belong and even though he knows he's not intentionally being left out – he could have joined as a third player in the video game after all – it wouldn't feel quite natural if he'd inserted himself into the game that Clint and Thor had already been playing or the conversation he most certainly wasn't invited to join. Or at least it's one of those moments he would feel that way if his mind wasn't already occupied well enough.

`Okay. Okay. Don't do anything drastic. I'll come spring you tonight. Promise.` he texts. Sometimes he's still a little in awe at how simple communication is in the modern world.

"Hey! Look who decided to finally join us," he then says, when he glances up just as Bruce and Tony appear, boxes of pizza in the latter's hands.

"Do you really want to consider the reasons why they didn't sooner?" Clint asks with a snort, but then his eyes seem to fixate on the pizza and he quickly pauses the game. "Hey! They brought us pizza!"

"After a crack like that," Tony teases, "I brought _them_ pizza." He gestures to the others.

Bruce shakes his head and grabs one of the boxes from Tony. "Ignore him. It's not like it's really a secret anymore what we're up to seventy-five percent of the time."

"Seventy-five?" Clint repeats and then gives a low whistle as he takes the pizza Bruce offers him.

"Don't give them false statistics," Tony says in an admonishing tone as he sets down the other boxes. He then smirks wickedly as he places a hand on Bruce's shoulder. "After all, it's at least eighty."

Steve rolls his eyes and tries not to think too hard about the two men's sex lives, not for the first time since moving into the tower. He focuses on his phone when he receives another text.

`Don't get a guy's hopes up.`

"Eighty percent?" Clint is saying meanwhile. "Yeah, okay, I like sex as much as the next guy, but that sounds unhealthy. You guys realize you can't have a relationship based off sex right? Is this even consensual?" He continues with a playful jab. "Should we be concerned? Did this turn into _Fifty Shades of Grey_?"

` You might think otherwise when you actually get here` Steve texts back.

When he focuses on the room around him again, he realizes the mood has shifted slightly. Tony seems absolutely stricken by something. The usually confident man looks uncomfortable. He's shifting a little and looking down at the floor. Whatever it is, Bruce is perceptive of it and has a calculating look in his eyes like he's trying to figure out how to help Tony without calling to attention he needs it.

Steve thinks back to Clint's quip and tries to decipher what could have possibly upset the billionaire. The only thing he can think is maybe the implication that his and Bruce's relationship isn't healthy. But certainly Tony knows better than that and shouldn't be so shaken, right? And there's no way Steve could possibly imagine it stems from some sudden problems between the two men. It's still clear as day they revolve around one another.

"We're kidding about the percentages," Bruce finally says. "No need to take it so literally, Barton." He smiles and nudges at Tony playfully. As if it's a cue to escape the awkward situation, Tony immediately laughs and nudges him back like he hadn't just gone off into space somewhere.

"Right?" Tony plays along. "Although, I posit that anyone dating Bruce would try for eighty percent too."

That seems to do the trick and there are a few groans, one from Bruce, and the topic is dropped by Clint with a, "Okay, whatever."

"Well, now that that's settled," Tony says with a clap of his hands, "enjoy your pizza. We're heading out soon. Probably won't be back for a bit. Don't have any wild parties while we're gone."

Steve reaches for a piece of pizza and gives them a hopeful expression. "Hey, so, do you think it would be okay if I can try to get Sam out of there today?"

For some reason Bruce looks quickly at Tony, very uncertain, almost like he thinks the answer should be no, but the expression eases when Tony answers with an easy, "Sure. And if he offers to show you the rest of the _Back to the Future_ trilogy, say yes to the second one and no to the third."

Steve feels the back of his neck grow a little warm. "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind," he says and then proceeds to text Sam.

"Okay, so anybody else have friends that want to bunk over or are we good here?" Tony asks playfully.

"No, but I'm going to go adopt a dog," Clint says just as playfully.

"Oh, we could invite Darcy," Thor states next, and winks at Jane who gives a surprised snort.

"Okay, okay, let's get out of here while we still have a chance," Bruce says, laughing, and pushing Tony toward the exit. "And please, no dogs or Darcy's when we return," he teases.

"Wait, who won the bet?" Jane pipes up curiously.

Steve looks up quickly at the two men and he sees the answer flash across their faces before they answer. Seems like he and Pepper win this one because it was definitely Bruce. Clint and Jane win too by luck, but Phil and Natasha had felt Bruce would give in just to stop Tony's antics should there be any.

"Uh," Bruce replies hesitantly, "me." He shrugs.

Tony smiles broadly. "Which is why we're off to spoil him rotten," he says and for some reason it makes Bruce flush and cough slightly. Sometimes Bruce seems embarrassed by the weirdest things, he thinks.

"Well, you two crazy old guys have fun," Natasha says with a lilt and Tony scowls at her. Bruce chuckles at the joke.

"Um, Steve," Bruce says, lingering, "do you have a minute?"

Steve furrows his brow, but puts his pizza aside and follows quickly just the same. Once he's alone with the two men near the main elevator they stop and share a look. Tony nods and Bruce starts again.

"Look, we both want Sam here, but about the medic…" Bruce sighs. "It's not that we don't trust her or anything, but we have some concerns." He looks like he's considering where to go from there.

"She's the one who's been helping him since the beginning," Steve supplies, not sure if it will help. "She also took care of Clint and Natasha."

"And me I'm sure," Tony says with a small worry of his lip. Then he becomes determined and states matter-of-factly, "But, she can't actually stay here."

"We have our reasons, Steve," Bruce states gently. "She is free to visit him during the day as often as she needs to, but if he needs her at night too then…" He sighs again. "Then maybe it's not a good idea for him to come just yet."

Steve looks back and forth at them curiously. "I understand." He knows Tony's never visited Sam at SHIELD because of a distaste for doctors and Steve wonders if it has anything to do with his having been a sickly baby - he'd not been fond of doctors either when he was a sickly kid - so he doesn't push the subject. "You know, I doubt Fury would approve it if she has to be here all the time," he says, considering. "But I'm pretty certain he doesn't need night care anymore since he's really only got about three or so weeks left of recovery," he offers tentatively.

"Well, hopefully that's the case," Bruce says. "We do really want him around."

Steve nods once. He decides not to bother with telling them he's memorized the exact times of day the medic checks on Sam.

***

Bruce can't help but chuckle a little as they sit in a diner and Tony looks over the menu like he wants to order one of everything – he could afford it, of course. He often gets this way with food. Shawarma had been only Bruce's first taste of that particular quirk, but he has to admit it's something he loves about him. It's why he'd thought it would be fun to just get out of the tower and drive through the state stopping off diners and hole in the walls trying something different at every place. Both of their appetites can handle it and he had a feeling it would be something they could both enjoy.

He also thought maybe it would do them both some good to just get out of the tower and do something simple, but also spontaneous. Maybe it's because he himself got so used to moving from one place to another that having spent a little over half a year in a single spot makes him feel a little cooped up and restless – though not caged and not itching to run which is why he doesn't mention it to Tony – and maybe it's because he thinks Tony needs to get away from files and teammates and inadvertent triggers for a short jaunt. Or maybe it's because there's something a little oddly romantic and old-fashioned about two people hitting the road and just letting it take it where it will.

"I'm never going to be able to pick," Tony says with a shake of his head.

"You know," Bruce replies with a thin smile as he looks back down at his own menu thoughtfully, "there's this old trick I picked up from a waitress one time." He glances up to see Tony has cocked his head and is looking at him with sudden curiosity and an expression that Bruce has come to read with ease. "Not that kind of trick."

Tony smirks a little and shrugs. "Shame. Was looking forward to a demonstration."

"As if you would need one," Bruce says to that with a quick laugh. "I'm sure you've learned plenty of tricks of your own from waitresses without needing another one from me." He rolls his eyes fondly and indulges in the game of footsie Tony seems to think is an appropriate response to his quip. "The trick I'm referring is to pick a single page or section of the menu at random and then select only from that. Ignore the rest of the menu," he tells him, attempting to keep a straight face.

"Huh." Tony looks down at his menu casually, as if he isn't determined to win the childish war between their feet by fighting a little dirty. Bruce watches in amusement, while contemplating his current counterattack, as Tony closes his eyes and points. Tony then opens his eyes and scans the randomly selected portion of the menu with his face somewhat scrunched. "Okay. Tenderloin sandwich. Classic."

"Ours is one of the best around," their waitress says with a smile, coming up to them at that moment to refill their drinks and probably to ask if they're ready to order. 

"Is that so?" Tony looks up at her with that blindingly charismatic smile of his and proceeds to order.

Bruce wonders, not for the first time obviously, how it is that he has the privilege of kissing the lips that make that smile or being the one he trusts without hesitation to see him when he can barely quirk the corner of his lips upward like he's always just been expected to. He wonders how easy and right it feels to be sitting across from him in this nowhere little place, nudging one another's feet and legs underneath the table as if nobody can see – although the slight gleam in the waitress' eyes tells him how untrue that is. It also tells him that he must have missed the question of what he'd like to order somewhere amid his thoughts. A glance between her and Tony, the latter looking at him with fond curiosity, tells him it's probably been at least a few embarrassing seconds of him being in lalaland.

He ducks his head a little and looks at the menu needlessly. "Um, I'll try the shrimp and grits," he says and then looks back up at her with what he hopes is a friendly enough expression.

It must be because she smiles eagerly and takes the menus from them. "Good picks, fellas," she says. "I'll get your orders in. You two just sit back and enjoy yourselves," she adds with a playful wink before leaving.

"Oh god," Bruce mumbles, chuckling as he does and looks at Tony. "Let's hope she doesn't go tell a reporter somewhere about how she spotted Tony Stark playing footsie with a random man in a diner."

"Pfft," Tony tones in amusement. "That's the kind of sugary sweet spread I'd like to get for a change," he says. "And random man? Hopefully they'd at least have the decency to assume it's the same man I've already been rumored to be with."

"Hopefully," Bruce agrees.

"For the record, I'm already enjoying myself," Tony states with a smile and takes a drink.

Bruce gives his own small smile at the sentiment. "Me too," he says, looking down at the table momentarily.

When he glances back up, he happens to notice a boy at a nearby table staring at Tony very carefully. The boy makes eye contact with Bruce when he feels him staring back and his eyes widen a little more, which is odd. Before Bruce can warn Tony, the boy is suddenly at their booth with a determined look.

"Uh, hey, kid," Tony says with a small start.

"You're him," the boy says matter-of-factly and glances down at Tony's chest with a tilt of his head. Tony has the reactor covered for their little trip, but that doesn't seem to deter the young fan because he looks back up at Tony with a bright smile. "You're totally him."

"I'm _a_ him," Tony tries, but it's unsuccessful as the boy weasels his way into the booth beside the engineer, forcing him over to make room. Bruce purses his lips and covers his mouth with his hand in a casual effort to stifle his amusement at how taken off guard Tony is. "Woah, hey, okay. Guess three really is a crowd." He looks at Bruce with wide eyes.

"My name's Harley," the kid says in introduction.

"Okay, uh, hi, Harley." Tony looks back down at the wide-eyed boy beside him. "I'm going to go out on a limb and say you've got a pretty good idea of who you think I am already."

"Duh," Harley says dramatically. "You're Iron Man."

"Technically I'm Tony Stark," Tony quips back and takes a drink of his soda.

"Yeah, which just makes you way cooler," Harley points out as if it's the most obvious thing in the world.

"He has a point," Bruce teases and goes to take a drink of his water.

Harley looks at him quickly. "I know who you are too," he says with a widening grin. "You're the Hulk!"

Bruce coughs on his water and barely manages to stop it from spraying out of his mouth. He swallows it down hard, coughs a little more and looks at Harley in disbelief. Tony grabs his napkin and reaches across the table, but Bruce barely registers it.

"Here, you got a little on your chin," Tony says, wiping it away helpfully.

It breaks Bruce from his trance and he finds his voice. "You think I'm the Hulk?"

Harley rolls his eyes several times over and Bruce blinks as in a strange way the kid reminds him a good deal of Tony. He looks back and forth between them as the boy slumps back against the booth and Tony studies him.

"I'm not stupid," Harley replies. "There are tons of conspiracy websites out there about how a Culver nuclear physicist named Dr. Banner actually went nuclear and became The Incredible Hulk. And they have pictures of you from when you worked there."

"That's reassuring," Bruce says dryly.

He knows that it's not exactly a secret-secret, there are rumors. Ross knows, of course, but doesn't advertise there's a human element attached to Hulk because it doesn't look good for his smear campaign. Still, he wasn't aware that there were enough rumors for even some random kid to have put two and two together.

"Don't worry," Harley says with a shrug. "Not everybody knows or believes it. But I do and I think it's cool you're still human but can turn into a big green monster now," he says more eagerly, sitting up.

Bruce falters back a little in disbelief, eyes widening and eyebrows rising. Suddenly it's written all over Tony's face that he doesn't think the kid is half bad and he's smiling broadly. Before Bruce can respond properly there's a little girl about six years old pushing her way into the booth beside him. He looks down at her in surprise; she's scowling at Harley.

"You left me for more than three minutes," she says. She pushes her wrist out across the table to show a fluorescent colored digital kid's watch with some cartoon character Bruce vaguely recalls having seen before. It's obvious the girl is likely his little sister.

"I was going to come back," he says, groaning dramatically and dropping his head to the table. "Sisters are so annoying." Bruce chuckles, remembering how he'd thought the same about his younger cousin Jennifer at times.

"I'm going to tell momma you left me and you called me annoying _and_ you're talking to strangers again," she says like a vindictive spitfire.

"I like your watch there, sweetpea," Tony says to her then with a placating smile and her scowl fades into a cautiously eager smile in return. Bruce warms a little and tramples down any and all domestic desires he's ever had.

"Your little sister does have a point," Bruce interjects, looking at Harley while his sister shows off her watch to Tony. "You really shouldn't just leave her if you were supposed to be watching her. And it's not a good idea to approach strangers."

"But you're celebrities," Harley counters.

"We might have just looked like celebrities," Bruce tries again.

Harley flops forward in clear frustration, elbows on the table and face held by his hands. He's practically pouting and Tony seems to find it amusing because he imitates the boy's silly behavior glancing up at Bruce as he does.

"I've just decided let's never have kids, Bruce," Tony says conversationally as he remains in that pose.

Bruce smiles thinly as he looks at the little girl beside him and the overall scene. "Funny," he tries to deadpan, but there's maybe a little too much truth to his tone, "here I just decided we definitely should." Tony merely responds with a raised brow.

"No way!" Harley starts and sits up again quickly. "You guys are together?"

"Love is love," Tony replies flippantly, also sitting up. Bruce snorts.

"I know that," Harley replies just as flippantly. "I just asked because that'd be so cool if you are," he continues, eager again. "Like you could be the coolest power couple and you could beat up bad guys together and, I don't know, probably save each other every now and then since that always happens in the cartoons and stuff." He shrugs.

Bruce shares a smile with Tony and then notes the way the little girl beside him seems confused as she looks back and forth between them, probably wondering what the hell her brother is talking about regarding power couples and bad guys being beaten up.

"Harley!" The waitress is back again with a tray in one hand and the other on her hip in admonishment. Said boy immediately shrinks in his seat. "What have I told you about harassing customers? I told you and your sister to wait at that table until I finished my shift." She sighs. "Do you want me to get fired?" She suddenly seems very tired and Bruce can't help but pity her. It doesn't take a lot of imagination to guess she's maybe a single mother trying to raise two kids while working a demanding job like this one. "I'm so sorry," she apologizes to him and Tony then.

"They're really not a problem," Bruce reassures her as she sets down the plates of food.

"Entertaining even," Tony adds.

The waitress sighs again, but there's a small and relieved smile touching her lips. "Well, thank you. But, Harley, you still need to listen to me when I tell you to do something," she says with a look of motherly exasperation at the boy. She gently pulls her daughter by the wrist until the girl bounces off the seat obediently. "Now let's let these two nice men eat in peace."

Harley huffs in disappointment, but pushes out of the booth just the same. "Hey, kid," Tony says to him before he can get too far. "It was cool meeting you. By the way, maybe keep it a secret for us okay?" Tony reaches for Bruce's hand and he understands his intent so grabs it easily.

"Okay," Harley agrees with a nod and smile. "But can I still prop how cool it would be to people?"

"Some people might not agree," Bruce warns, and frowns a little at the fact that he even has to.

"Those people are idiots," Harley says with another eye roll and bright smile before turning on his heels and rushing back toward his table.

"Seems like a good kid," Tony quips a little fondly. Bruce nods and hums in agreement.

"So," he asks wryly after a moment, "was she one of the waitresses who taught you a trick or two?" Tony sputters on a bite of food and looks at him in confusion. Bruce shrugs, looking at his plate as he scoops up a bite. "Just curious since you and Harley seemed pretty connected." He then glances up through his eyelashes at him with a smirk and Tony laughs and shakes his head.

"Well, then I guess it's a good thing I was planning on leaving an obscenely large tip for them," he says, taking an obscenely large bite of his sandwich and then proceeding to talk around said bite. "You know, to ease my conscience of running out on them," he jokes.

"Of course," Bruce says, taking his own bite of food. But he's pretty sure what he means to say is, 'This is why I love you.'

***

Tony nods and hands his menu back to the waiter who just nods politely back and then leaves them. This is the nicest place they've been in of the handful of eateries he and Bruce have visited over the past ten and a half hours or so, but only because when they asked the locals where the best place to eat in the city was they'd all easily said the restaurant at the biggest hotel they had. And it was just as well since their excursion had taken on a life of its own and they'd lost track of time without turning to head back. It was going on ten at night so they'd decided to just stay over and head back in the morning.

Of course Tony is feeling a little high on life with just Bruce by his side and the idea of going back at all doesn’t seem so appealing. So he says as much. "Today has been great."

"It has," Bruce agrees, looking around at the hotel restaurant's décor.

"Honestly, I say we forget going back and just make this our life from here on out," he continues both casual and wistful. Bruce looks at him with an expression that reads like fond curiosity, as if wondering what he's up to now. "Just you and me and the road and good food and hotel beds we can sully."

Bruce smiles thinly and ducks his head like he's just as overwhelmed by how perfect the idea sounds. "Sounds like the plotline from a classic," he muses.

Tony has to agree as he circles the ring of his glass with his fingers thoughtfully and continues to smile at Bruce. "No team, no SHIELD, no bad guys, no responsibilities, no," he hesitates, "bastard generals." Bruce looks up at him quickly with a slight crease in his brow. "Just the two of us."

Bruce sighs, but then he shakes his head. "Eventually you'd get tired of it though," he says. "The food would all start to taste the same. You'd probably end up with frequent indigestion. The hotel rooms would start to feel too small, the roads too long. You'd miss flying and yelling at Dummy and picking on the others." He hitches a shoulder.

"Buzzkill," Tony responds, but there's no heat in it. He knows Bruce is more or less right and he's just grateful a 'you'd get sick of being with just me' hadn't slipped in there although that ridiculous notion seemed to be what was implied between the lines and in the small frown that had touched Bruce's lips briefly. "You're probably right," he concedes, ignoring that line of thought. "But we should do this more often. Don't think I don't know why you wanted to do this, by the way."

Bruce raises an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"At first I was a little worried you were going a little stir crazy," Tony hazards truthfully. He had been a little afraid maybe Bruce was feeling closed in. "Then I figured out you were trying to clear _my_ head."

Bruce smiles a small, guilty smile. "Well it seemed easier to get you to agree to than spending a day meditating with me," he teases gently.

"A whole day?" Tony proves his point without thinking and Bruce laughs softly. "Yeah, this is better," he agrees. "But, you were right," he continues. "I needed this."

"I think we both did," Bruce says simply and Tony decides to let that mean that Bruce needed him away from the tower and triggers just so he could regroup in his continued support.

"You know, last night…" Tony starts after a moment, because he's feeling good and wants to clear the air while his head is foggy with good food, so much he should be ten pounds heavier, and Bruce's company. "Natasha ribbed me a little as being privileged."

"Oh," Bruce says quietly, like a small breath more than anything.

"The thing is, she's right. You know? I somehow managed to escape most of my life without any knowledge of what happened other than the, you know, ingrained trauma I didn't understand. On top of that I was rich, powerful, had anything I wanted. I'm not stupid enough to think what I went through is even a fraction of what—"

"Stop, please," Bruce coaxes and reaches for his hand, pulling it into his own and lacing their fingers. "Just, don't go there, Tony. Your experiences… Your feelings are still valid," he says. "It's okay to be upset and feel… violated," he grits out the word and there's just a small flash of green in his eyes that lets Tony know Bruce isn't alone in being upset on his behalf. Bruce then looks slightly startled, perhaps concerned by his spike of anger.

"I know," Tony squeezes their hands together to soothe Bruce's anger away if he can. "But I won't pretend that I didn't have a lot of things to make up for what happened." He sighs and looks down at their entwined fingers.

There's a moment of silence.

"Did you have happiness?" Bruce asks and the question disarms him, bringing Tony's eyes back up quickly.

"Moments," Tony answers slowly. "Nothing lasting. Not until… well…" He bites his lip. "Even after becoming Iron Man, it wasn't exactly like I was happy. It was…"

"A different kind of privilege," Bruce fills in the blanks for him knowingly, their having had the conversation before more than once, and Tony nods.

"A terrible one," he echoes the sentiment from the day they'd met. _The day they'd met._ For all the insanity and the fact he'd almost not even survived it that day was when he'd started to know happiness. And he still felt it in spite of having to come to grips with his father's transgressions against him. "I'm happy now," he says earnestly. "And it has nothing to do with, well, the sex. No matter what Barton thinks," he adds a little gruffly because the comment had bothered him.

Bruce seems confused. "Tony, I know that. Why did it bother you so much?" he then asks carefully, in a tone that tells Tony he's not demanding an answer. That's probably why he does.

"Because sometimes I wonder how many of my crazy sexcapades were beyond my control. How many times was I forcing myself to use people, take advantage of them, because I just couldn't help it like a functioning human being?" He had never been disgusted by his overactive libido and need for satiation until he'd started considering the serum-offshoot's influence on his behavior. The word nymphomaniac had always been one he'd scoffed at until now.

"Tony," Bruce says evenly, "if the others consented it was consensual. How many of them were taking advantage of your sex drive just to, to…" he huffs as if irritated. Tony wonders briefly if there's a hint of jealousy behind it. "Look, if anything wasn't consensual it was the fact that your dad drugged you and changed your chemical make-up while you were still too young to do anything about it. If anything isn't consensual it's the fact that now you have an even harder time controlling your urges. That's not fair. It's not something you asked for."

"And now you're stuck with the consequences," Tony admits before he can prevent the niggling doubt that had been at the back of his mind for about a month from slipping out. "Well, I guess not stuck," he adds with a bit of insecurity.

"You think…" Bruce doesn't finish that thought or any other for a moment. He then looks at Tony very deliberately. "Tony, you've never pushed me or made me feel uncomfortable. I…" He ducks his head. "I love being with you," he says vaguely but Tony knows he means intimately, physically. "You're not the only one who can't get enough because _I can't_. Not when it comes to you. It… It overwhelms me because I went _years_ , Tony. And somehow I was fine. But now... If anyone should wonder, maybe I should worry I'm taking advantage of you sometimes."

"That's ridiculous," Tony counters. "If I said no, you wouldn't hesitate."

"You're right," Bruce says with a smile and Tony thinks it means a point was just proven. "Just like when I really say no and mean it, you do everything you can to respect that." Tony knows sometimes he's pushier than others, more eager than he should be, doesn't immediately take Bruce's protests into consideration and it still makes him feel a little guilty that he doesn't have more control like the physicist. So he sighs, but Bruce seems to take it in stride. "You and I have different things the other has to work with. It's called a relationship, Tony."

Tony has to admit the simplicity of that notion, that explanation of the situation, has never quite struck him before. There's a small twinkle in Bruce's eyes as if he's fully aware and maybe a little shy to have put it out there on the table in that way, but Tony is glad that he has. They're more than just dating, more than just in love, they're in a relationship. And it's not just steady-ish. Or at least it doesn't feel like it. It feels like he's suddenly able to do all of the things he'd once been afraid to do, like commitment and listening when the word 'no' is said among other things, because he's doing those things for Bruce.

Of course, the universe also likes to play spiteful tricks on him and it's at that moment that their private little bubble is burst by a much too polished voice saying, "Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world…"

They both turn their heads at the same time to see something that makes them both startle in different ways. The man talking Tony vaguely recognizes from somewhere though maybe it's because he somewhat resembles Guy Pearce, but the brunette just at his left Tony would recognize anywhere. Porcelain skin, ethereal blue eyes, long brown tresses and lips that curve just right – she's the kind of beautiful straight men want to take home to meet their mothers and Bruce is staring at her like she's a ghost.

Jealousy is a bit of a foreign feeling for Tony and it's been a long time since he was genuinely jealous… excepting maybe his little power struggle with everybody's favorite super-soldier (a thought he quickly tramples down because he doesn't need to let his mind lose focus due to his inner demons at the moment) or that flash of jealousy he'd gotten when he'd realized right away that there was something between Pepper and Phil. But it's been a long time since he's felt _this_. This thing in the pit of his stomach that he's certain _has_ to be strong jealousy and trepidation as he stares dumbly at Dr. Betty Ross.

"I'm sorry," the Guy Pearce lookalike is talking again with the fakest smile Tony has seen since his own last media smile, "you probably don't recognize me. I guess I have changed a bit since I met you both, respectively."

"Aldrich Killian," Bruce supplies his name and Tony glances at him before then looking back at the blond man with shock as his memory places the name with the very different face. "If I recall you had some theories about cellular repair as well," Bruce states evenly and Killian's smile sharpens.

"I'm flattered you do remember me. Mr. Stark on the other hand probably doesn't have much reason to," he says and Tony frowns just a little. He does remember. He'd stood the eager, and then very homely, scientist up in favor of, well, his sex-drive which was no surprise.

"Sorry about that," he offers.

Killian flaps a hand at him. "No, don't be. I get it now. If I'd been in your shoes… well, I know what I would have done."

Tony nods and is about to say something else when Dr. Ross finally seems broken from her reverie and smiles brightly. "I can't believe it," she breathes out. "It's so good to see you again, Bruce."

Bruce brightens and nods. "You too, Betty."

Tony isn't quite sure how, but Killian and Betty sit down at the table to join them.

"You can imagine how relieved I was when…" Betty starts, but then blanches and bites her lip. "When I found out you were back in America," she finishes awkwardly. She then seems to register his and Bruce's hands where they're still woven together and her eyes blink wide. She looks at Bruce and then Tony; for his part he tries for a smile somewhere between 'don't worry I'm treating him well' and 'back off, he's mine now' and probably fails. "Oh," she says and Tony isn't quite sure if the small flicker of jealousy and regret is real or his imagination, "I see you had good reasons to come back."

Bruce smiles genuinely and ducks his head a moment before looking at him. Tony meets that gaze earnestly, hoping Bruce sees just how much he loves him since he's fairly certain it's always written all over his face. He squeezes his hand for good measure.

"Yeah, guess I did," Bruce replies.

"I'm so happy for you," Betty says graciously.

"Yes, congratulations," Killian chimes in. "Although I have to admit, I'm a little surprised," he adds with a tilt of his head. "I was certain Tony Stark only went in for, well, breasts." He laughs as if it's funny and Tony ignores the nearly identical look of disdain Bruce and Betty give him over the comment because it's too in sync.

"Well, you know what they say," Tony replies dismissively. "A good man is hard to find."

Bruce laughs a small, shy laugh and shakes his head. "I guess I'll take that as a compliment."

"You should," Betty reassures him with a pat of his other hand and Tony pointedly ignores the way his jealousy spikes.

At least he tries to.

In spite of Bruce's previous response and Betty taking it at least in stride at the present moment, the longer Betty is there the more Tony can't help but think back to a moment near the very beginning of his and Bruce's relationship. Bruce had been so unsure and had referred to himself derisively as the other woman. He'd felt like he had encroached on Pepper. He'd felt like he had ruined something beautiful because he believed he always managed to ruin things when he was around. He had kept insisting that Tony was just making it up in his mind or that maybe he was leading him on because Bruce hadn't had a friend, let alone an intelligent one, in so long. There had been all kind of ridiculous things to spring from Bruce's mouth when he'd admitted his feelings of being akin to the 'other woman' and now suddenly Tony understands.

Tony is keenly aware as Bruce and Betty make small chat that this is the woman who had been the physicist's moon and stars. This is the woman he wanted to marry. This is the woman he wanted to grow old with. This is the woman who he would have had a picket fenced house and kids and grandkids with. And now the shoe is on the other foot. Tony is the other woman. He's the other woman who had come along and taken advantage of their star crossed fate as divided lovers. He's the other woman who had come along and lured in a lonely and emotionally vulnerable man with a shiny lab and friendship and intelligent conversation and mind-blowing sex.

Maybe what Bruce thinks he feels for him is all in his mind because Tony had had the audacity to give him something in earnest that he wasn't going to get anywhere else – trust. That thought makes his stomach curdle. Or maybe it's the indigestion Bruce had suggested could become a problem. He doesn't know. He only knows it's the longest dinner ever and he doesn't even register half of it, just lets Bruce catch up with Betty while he mostly ignores Killian for the second time in his life.

It's an absolute relief when he and Bruce make their way back to the room they'd booked. He can breathe easy again. He can pretend he didn't wonder if Bruce felt a sudden pang that he should be going home with Betty instead of him. He can tell himself that just because he doesn't have anyone but Pepper as a guide, lots of rational and full-functioning adults can have a clandestine meeting with an ex and it's not a big deal. He can remind himself that Bruce's hand is linked with his and they're going to go to bed and wake up in the morning and head back to the tower and nothing will be different than when he left – save maybe the number on the scale after all the food they've eaten or the fact Sam Wilson might be hanging around now.

"Are you okay?" Bruce asks him innocently, concern in his tone when they reach the door to their room and Tony fumbles for the key. Bruce takes it from him with steady hands and unlocks it for them.

Tony feels as nervous as a man on his honeymoon – since contrary to popular belief it's probably not only brides that can blush and fumble in anticipation, at least he's pretty certain even if he hasn't been a blushing anything in bed for ages – and he's not sure if he wants to just pick Bruce up and carry him into the room a little possessively just to prove a point to himself or make up some horrible excuse and run for the hotel bar. But Bruce is already in the room before he can do the former and Bruce would smell the alcohol and – though without meaning to – sleep further from him in the bed to stave off unpleasant memories if he were to do the latter.

"You're not okay," Bruce says knowingly when Tony finally stops standing in the doorway and comes into the room, closing the door behind him. "Do you want to talk or do you just need some time?"

Tony sighs. Bruce has always been relatively straightforward about his insecurities and self-depreciating thoughts. He decides maybe he owes it to him to trust him with the same. It's not like there's any other person in the world he does trust with that side of himself… which is why thinking about how it all very well might be an illusion he's built up for himself rankles as much as it does.

He goes to the armoire and opens it if only to busy his hands with something. There are four complimentary robes, two for men and two for women… which for some reason reminds him of the first morning after Bruce had stayed at the tower and the guest bathroom had only had one of Pepper's discarded robes, a – ironically – purple and somewhat frilly thing. Tony, thinking he was being a truly hospitable host for once, had had Dummy go to exchange Bruce's discarded clothes with a new outfit only for the bucket-of-bolts-for-brains to do one without following up with the other. Bruce had emerged with the robe on, confused as hell, and Tony had had one of his rare moments of self control because he hadn't wanted to scare the man off before he was even able to give him a tour of R&D after all, Tony might not have known how deep his attraction really was yet, but he wasn't one to deny when he found someone attractive and Bruce in that purple robe had been downright delectable - of course Bruce in purple almost always is.

Tony knows he's stalling so he closes the armoire again with a, hopefully neutral, "You were right about Betty being pretty perfect."

Before he can blink, let alone turn around to see Bruce's reaction, he's spun around quickly and pushed back against the armoire just a little by the force of the physicist covering his mouth with his own. Tony is confused, but pleasantly surprised and willing to return the kiss with equal force. His hands register immediately that at some point while he'd been reminiscing about purple robes, Bruce had taken off his shirt for bed.

"I can't believe you're jealous," Bruce says against his lips and then kisses him hard again, backing up as he does and pulling Tony along with him like a siren leading him to a pleasant doom. "People don't get jealous over me," he adds, self-deprecating even as he takes the initiative and Tony's shirt along with it.

"That's bullshit," Tony growls and nips a little at Bruce's bottom lip before kissing him hungrily. Bruce is wrong because jealousy has been coursing through him with a fierce _mine, mine, mine_ all night.

"You don't have to be jealous, Tony," Bruce says, breaking off for a moment to look at him seriously. His hand rests open palm against the special-made patch Tony wears over his reactor when he wants to be inconspicuous in public.

Tony wants to believe him more than anything, but… "She was your everything, Bruce." Just because he wants to pretend like it's not true, let his ego tell him she's nothing, he just can't. He can only close his eyes and hang his head, heavy with how true it is.

Bruce's hand moves up to cup his face instead and he lets his own head fall forward so that their foreheads touch. "She was," Bruce breathes the confession and lets it hang there for a pregnant moment. He then moves his head back and coaxes Tony to do the same so that their eyes are locked intensely. "But only because I hadn't met you yet."

Tony searches Bruce's eyes and realizes he means it.

***

Just three more weeks, Sam tells himself. Barring any serious setbacks, in three more weeks he should be cleared by the doctors and able to resume his life. On the bright side, moving into the tower has already done wonders for his mood even if he has to put up with the pesky SHIELD medic disturbing his newfound sanctuary.

"Let me guess," he says to the dark haired woman as she finishes up the mundane check-up he could probably perform on himself in his sleep by now. "Things are progressing magnificently. Probably only three more weeks until I'm good to go?"

She laughs a little at his ornery comment and shakes her head.

"Honestly, I'm starting to think you want her to say otherwise," Steve says with a disbelieving chuckle.

"Maybe I like having you dote on me, Clara Barto—" He pauses and makes a face and Steve mirrors it. Then they both start snickering while the medic looks at them strangely. "How about we stick with Florence Nightingale," he says with a harsh exhale.

Steve looks at him in slight reprimand for over exerting himself, but then it softens as he nods. "I wonder if he's a distant cousin," he continues, referring to the previous joke. He then looks at the medic and politely asks, "Do you need help with anything?"

"No, but I'm going to do a quick inspection of his room and the bathroom and kitchen for safety purposes," she says and Steve nods his okay.

_Mr. Wilson, Mr. Stark and Dr. Banner are requesting if you would care for a visit._

Sam straightens a little in his recliner. "Uh, yeah, sure," he says. He's met Dr. Banner a few times, but he hasn't met Stark yet. Something about his not liking to visit doctors, but he sent well wishes and a ridiculously expensive gift basket. As if the guy hadn't already saved his life with his armor. Steve had told him all about it.

"Try not to freak out too much." Sam turns his gaze towards Steve sharply to see his teasing expression. "Tony Stark puts on his pants the same way you and I do." Sam rolls his eyes a little at Steve's outdated colloquialisms, but they're also endearing and he thinks Steve wouldn't be quite the same without them or other small nuances evident of his past life.

"That's actually not true," Stark himself says as he and Banner come into the apartment. "You'd be surprised how many creative ways you can put on pants when you're as rich as I am."

"Huh. This is actually a nice change of pace," Banner chimes in dryly. "Usually you're discussing creative ways of taking pants off."

"It's true," Steve confirms with a resigned sort of shake of his head.

"Look, I'm just saying," Stark lifts his hands a little defensively, "if _I_ was the Master of Magnetism, I would not waste that kind of gift."

Banner's eyes widen slightly, or maybe dilate is closer to the correct term, before he loses the small battle against his twitching lips and lets out a huff of a laugh and, "Oh god. What a terrifying thought."

Sam laughs until his vision swims a little and his breathing comes in sharp pants. Like a hovering mother hen, Steve is immediately gripping his shoulder strongly and urging him to breathe.

"The home inspection passes, but perhaps the atmosphere should be reconsidered," the medic chastises as she returns then.

Sam opens his mouth to protest, but to his surprise Stark beats him to it. "Isn't laughter the best medicine?" He looks her over as if studying her.

"It is," she replies evenly. "But within reason. Not everyone is as gifted as you in their recovery time. They need proper rest more than they need laughter."

Sam sees the way Stark tenses and looks almost like that comment had stung him personally. He's not the only one though because beside him Banner is suddenly wary and calculating; he seems to be one part concerned for Stark and one part upset with the woman. For a brief moment Sam wonders if this is what it's like to see him maintain control of his condition. Sam glances then at Steve and notices that even he seems to be studying the two men with a pondering look, like there's something specific on his mind regarding the situation.

"I suppose she's got a point there, Tony," Banner says with surprising evenness despite what Sam had just sensed from him. He even chuckles and looks – well no bones about it _fondly_ – at Stark. "Not all of us have Stark vitality."

Stark eases immensely and barks out a laugh. "Guess that's true. I guess I take it for granted." He shrugs. "You know, I bet if the ol' man hadn't died in an accident he'd be kicking past 100 by now and still taking me to school."

"Hey now," Steve cuts in at that and Sam turns to see him wearing a playful scowl. "He wouldn't be _that_ old." Sam gives a short, quick laugh when he gets that it's because he and Howard Stark were friends back in the war and near the same age. "As for taking you to school…" Steve weighs his head from side to side.

"Ha, hilarious," Stark bites out and his smile does look a little sharper like he doesn’t actually like the joke even if he started it. "You know what? Fondue you too, Cap."

Sam narrows his brow in confusion as Banner clearly bites down on a snort of laughter and Steve suddenly goes bright red and sputters. He looks at Steve curiously.

"No thanks," Steve says, but Sam guesses it's mostly to save face as if they hadn't already seen him acting sheepishly.

"It most certainly was _not_ a literal offer," Stark replies back snappily and throws a jovial arm around Banner's shoulders. The physicist gives a small smile and his eyes roam around the room in an out of focus manner, like there's something meaningful about the gesture.

"Okay," Sam interjects. "I'm definitely going to need to be let in on this joke." Steve somehow manages to turn a shade brighter and Sam can't help but laugh on instinct at his expense.

"Alright, alright. Remember to take it easy," the medic says with a shake of her head as she finishes gathering her gear. "You know the rules. No more than twenty minutes of aggressive exertion at a time. No more than forty minutes of moderate exertion at a time. And no more than light exertion for seventy-five percent of the time you're awake." She then prepares to leave.

"Before you go," Stark interrupts her. "It's been bugging me, but you seem… familiar."

"I'm sure I do," she answers curtly. He blinks several times and Banner shifts a little beside him. "I used to be a scientist," she then says. "Well, I still am, just… in a different way."

Stark furrows his brow and studies her carefully again. He opens his mouth, but then shakes his head. She laughs and shakes her own in a way that says she's not surprised.

"Don't worry," she says with a smile, again a little on the curt side. "I'm sure deep down somewhere _you know who I am_." She then nods at each of them and takes her leave.

"Shit," Stark says after she's gone, eyes fixed on the direction she left.

"Let me guess," Banner interjects drolly. "You slept with her?"

"And left her one of my infamous calling cards apparently." He shakes his head and looks back at the other man with a wince.

Banner looks at him in slight incredulity, arms folding across his chest. "You left calling cards?"

"Uh, yeah well, more like 'don't call me' cards," he corrects. "And only when I actually, you know, semi-connected with the person before—"

"Fucking them?" Banner asks bluntly.

"Yes," Stark replies quickly. Then after a beat, "You're upset."

Banner shakes his head calmly, lips tight. "Not at all," he answers.

"Okay, you two realize there's absolutely no bro in your bromance, right?" Sam has to say it because he knows all about the betting pool and, honestly, somebody has to put it out there. These two are practically drowning in their chemistry.

The two men look at him strangely. Then at each other. Then at Steve. Then at him again.

"Bromance?" Stark asks first.

"Yeah, you know, two bros that might as well be platonic life partners?" Sam feels a little foolish having to explain it to them. They're not that old, after all. "And again, you two are way past that."

"And your point?" Stark raises a confused eyebrow.

Sam is equally confused until Banner's eyebrows shoot up and he looks at Steve. "You haven't told him, have you?"

Sam's mouth drops and he looks at Steve to see him fighting that small smirk he has when he's guilty. "You said…" He squeaks in surprise. "But you said—"

"That they act like they're in love," Steve cuts over him. "I said it's obvious. I never actually said they weren't together."

Sam sputters a little and then frowns at Steve's slightly self-satisfied expression. He then looks back at the two men in question, now standing pressed close together, Stark's arm around Banner's shoulders once more. They seem more than amused.

"Sorry, Sam," Banner offers finally. "It really was a secret. I'm sure Steve was just respecting our privacy."

Sam eyes Steve carefully and then shakes his head. Steve's expression tells him all he needs to know. "Yeah, I don't buy that for a second. Steve Rogers is a ninety year old troll."

Steve huffs out a laugh, but rather than deny it says, "I saw a good opportunity and I took it."

Stark and Banner start laughing in sync, clearly surprised, and commenting as such between their snickers.

That is until Stark randomly stops and snaps his fingers, effectively stopping them all to look at him. "Maya Hansen," he says. Banner hums slightly and nods.

"I could have told you that," Sam mumbles. He's still a little too put out by being trolled by Steve to care.

***

Bruce looks around at the park as he sits down on a bench. The sky is a vibrant shade of blue and the grass is a vibrant shade of green. There is the sound of dogs barking and children's laughter even if Bruce doesn't see any dogs or children. There's also the distinct aromatic scent of flowers of varying kinds.

This is only the second time this setting has materialized in his mind since this has started to become a semi-regular thing. _This_ being the unexpected ability to actually communicate with the Other Guy, sometimes. He hadn't known it was even possible until that fateful day he had learned about Tony's past and the Hulk had emerged with a desire to protect Tony.

Not only had he heard Hulk clearly tell him he wouldn't hurt Tony, he'd been conscious deep down somewhere while Hulk was the one in control. It had been strange and dark and when he'd woken again the memory of hearing Hulk speak to him while he'd been there, calling him 'Stupid Banner' at least a few times, had returned to him.

Bruce was afraid to try at first, but then curiosity had won out and he'd attempted to reach out to the Hulk. He went deep down into his subconscious and asked Hulk if he could hear him. As it turned out, he could and Bruce could hear him. What followed after was a strange and highly dissociative learning curve where Bruce was faced with the confirmation that maybe Tony had been right about Hulk all along.

Now it seems the data has shifted again because before it had been just a dark sort of nothingness, tinged green. Sitting in a park in the astral plane of his mind makes little sense and he wonders if it's he that's conjured it up, the Other Guy, or both of them collectively.

"Why?" He finally asks when he senses the Hulk has joined him. "Why a park?"

There's no answer for a few moments and Bruce feels the distinct sensation that the Hulk is taking it all in and it is actually calming him. He gets the distinct impression that all of the elements here in this scene are things that sooth his anger. Maybe… maybe the Hulk doesn't always want to be angry?

"Park is safe," Hulk answers at last.

Bruce furrows his brow. "Park is…?"

_"Go to the park, Bruce. I'll come and get you."_

Bruce flinches at the onslaught of the memory and the imagery around him flickers in and out momentarily.

"You… you have access to everything, don't you?" Bruce looks around, taking in the setting again. "All of my memories?"

Hulk grumbles what sounds like an affirmative. "Even memories Banner hides."

"You mean the ones I try to forget?" Bruce asks for clarification and gets another affirming grunt, although it seems a little huffy as though Hulk is exasperated that he had to ask what he meant. "No wonder you're angry," Bruce says then sardonically. "Must be hell in here with all of that."

"Not so bad now," Hulk mumbles and Bruce gets the distinct impression of the behemoth shrugging his shoulders. "Banner…" There's a long pause and Bruce waits for the completion of that statement.

When nothing comes Bruce hazards, "Happy?" He waits a beat. "Are you trying to say I'm happy now?" 

It must be a foreign word, a foreign concept, but Hulk grunts. There's another long pause and Bruce is about to press forward when he says, "Tony change things."

Bruce can't fight the smile that comes and the colors and sounds grow more vibrant and distinctive around him. "Yeah, he has."

"Tony nice to Hulk too," Hulk adds a little more gleefully, as odd as that notion seems and Bruce wonders if it would be paired with a primal sort of grin. He knows from Tony after all that Hulk can smile. There's a huff. " _Hulk smiles_."

Bruce can't help but chuckle at that. "Okay, okay. Bear with me. I'm still learning you're not just an out of control rage monster. In my defense, you didn't exactly make very good impressions at first." The imagery of the park flickers in and out again and Bruce can feel Hulk's irritation, but to his own surprise he stands firm. "You can huff all you want, but it's true. I'm not the only one learning. Am I?"

There's no answer, but the park does become clear again so Bruce hopes that's a concession to his point.

"Tony here," Hulk says matter-of-factly after another moment of Bruce contemplating what else he might say to Hulk during this conversation. "Tony watching."

Bruce opens his eyes and sure enough sees Tony sitting on the couch, watching him intently. It's fuzzy around the edges and their apartment bleeds together with the imagery of the park. Bruce sees Tony's eyebrows move slowly upward right before he closes his eyes again.

Inside his head he smiles, maybe on the outside too, he isn't certain much anymore about the logistics. He only knows that in spite of everything, he feels at peace in a way that he hasn't ever before. He hopes so very hard that it doesn't change, but he also knows his life, their lives, don't seem to hold any guarantees.

"I don't want to lose this, Hulk," he admits as he feels the beast begin to fall away into the furthest corners of his mind and his own consciousness begin to return. "I never want to lose Tony."

"And I never want to lose you," he hears Tony reply warmly, still somewhat distantly, and realizes he must have said that second part out loud.

Bruce smiles as he opens his eyes to see the other man. The man who's been changing things because Bruce can't help but let him.

***

Clint doesn't take things for granted anymore. He tries not to anyways.

Having Loki in his head showed him just the kind of man he could become. Natasha has a bad habit of calling herself a monster for things done to her, things she's done because of things done to her, and he's long tried to make her see how wrong she is. But now he understands what she means. He understands that deep inside of him is a ruthless, trained killer that can't be trusted. Once unleashed, it strikes without mercy.

It's been eighth months to the day since he was compromised. Sometimes he still wakes up to the screams of Loki's victims, victims that he himself killed at the demigod's bidding. He tosses and turns, he thinks of the ones that had families, he wishes he could make up for what he's done. But the fact is he can't.

And because he can't, he doesn't take things for granted now. He knows he's lucky Natasha saved him before he could do anything worse – the chilling things he knew deep down in his bones that Loki wanted him to do – and he knows he's lucky he's still trusted now that they all see just how risky it is. So when Stark built a tower to try and make this super team thing work, he didn't take the chance or the trust for granted. So when Natasha didn't push him away, rather held him close because she knew he needed it in those first few hellish months after, he didn't take her nearness for granted. So when Phil came back to them he made a promise not to take the man's friendship for granted.

And now that he's an Avenger he's going to make damn sure he doesn't take the responsibility for granted. He lives and will occasionally work with a team of superheroes with nothing more than keen eyes and a bow. He can't take that disparity for granted. _He can't miss._

So he doesn’t plan on it.

Clint is determined to be the eyes and ears his team needs. He's determined to do what he can to keep them safe and never be the weak link.

And while he intends to be there for his whole team, his current priority is on two of his teammates in particular. Natasha can handle herself and when push comes to shove he has her back first and foremost. Thor is practically indestructible and can come and go as he pleases. Cap doesn't seem to need much protection and seems to have the new kid, Wilson, covered already.

But Stark and Banner are up against the whole world and they don't even realize it. Sure, Banner always was because of the Hulk whether he liked it or not and Stark always was because he intentionally takes it on himself. But now they're in love and everyone knows the world is a dangerous place to be for lovers. Clint knows that anyways. He sees it for what it is, knows when he's being a sucker. Banner probably has a pretty good idea too, but Stark…

Stark seems to have it in his head that he can make anything work. He seems to have a knack for laying out all his cards and throwing in all his chips and rolling the dice long after they should have gone cold because words like 'one way trip' and 'Ross will stop at nothing' don't seem to get through to him. So far the guy's gotten lucky and Clint hopes for his and Banner's sake that luck holds, but Clint doesn't take that kind of luck for granted now so he figures it can't hurt to have their backs however they need him to.

That's how he intercepts the visit from a certain general to the tower before Stark does. He gets to the lobby before Stark and doesn’t even hesitate in pulling an arrow from his quiver and readying his bow in a defensive stance.

"You're not getting in here, Ross," he tells him when the man backs up with a scowl, hands slightly raised.

"Put down that bow, junior," Ross says patronizingly. "I'm just here to talk."

The bow remains where it is. "You've been doing plenty of talking as it is," Clint quips evenly. "Congress has practically been suffocating on your hot air from what I've heard. I'm fairly certain there's nothing left for you to say. And if you're so desperate for a chat, why don't you Skype us," he snips.

Predictably, the general twitches and his scowl deepens. "This is public property. I have a right to be here."

"You're right," Clint says with a smirk. "You've got a right to be anywhere between here and Level 5. I'll be more than happy to give you the nickel tour if you'd like. The Stark Museum is riveting and there's this nifty sandwich joint." The smirk falls then. "In other words, you're not getting anywhere else on my watch."

"You heard him, General," Stark interjects at that moment, coming from the elevator in a smooth motion until he stands beside Clint with his hands in his suit pant pockets. Clint wonders if what took him so long was a costume change, but maybe it's part and parcel for the little power struggle powwow that's about to take place. "You are officially unwelcome here. Or did I not make that clear at the party a few nights ago?"

"You're only delaying the inevitable, Mr. Stark," Ross says in response. "The Hulk is a weapon. He was created by the U.S. Army and as such he's our property."

"Okay, wow," Stark clips, but Clint can tell he's seething beneath his calm exterior. "I love the Big Green Guy and all and, honestly I've got a few reasons to be glad he showed up, but the Hulk was an accident. Unless, hmm," he wags a finger and looks around innocently, "you're insinuating you created a sometimes uncontrollable rage monster _on purpose_. You wouldn't be doing that now would you?"

Clint snorts. "Talk about your plot twists."

That seems to catch the general off guard and he bristles. "One wrong move and that creature could bring down this entire tower," he warns. "Why insist on protecting him?"

"Let's see," Stark holds up a hand and begins ticking off reasons on his fingers, "one, something with that power definitely doesn't belong in the hands of the army ever. Two, that quote unquote creature actually has a brain and feelings and probably more than you yourself can take credit for." That really makes Ross fume. "Three, the Hulk is attached to a man and that man is a human being. A brilliant, amazing, absolutely _stellar_ human being that deserves to be treated with the same rights afforded to other human beings of less stellar human beings living in this country."

Ross blinks and studies Stark hard. Clint doesn't like the look. He looks like he's starting to put two and two together and four is synonymous with Stark protecting Banner for more than friendly reasons.

"That _stellar human being_ ," Ross repeats the words like they're poison, "has killed countless lives and destroyed billions of dollars worth of property."

"Well, what do you know," Stark replies with wide eyes and mock glee. "So have I. See, no wonder me and the guy get along." Then without warning Stark becomes dark and formidable and takes half a step forward. "I've killed and you've killed. If you were to use him as a weapon, you'd still get the same results. So why don't you stop bullshitting, Ross. You don't give a damn about what the Hulk does so long as you're the one pulling the trigger. And _that_ is never going to happen."

There's a long moment of silence and Clint watches at Ross seems to contemplate the situation. Finally the general responds coldly. "You want the truth from me, Mr. Stark? Well, then, here it is. There's nothing you and your little team can do that will keep that monster you're hiding from ending up exactly where it belongs. It's only a matter of time and you may find out not much time at all. Does Fury really think he can beat me with a petition?" Ross chuckles derisively.

Clint's had about as much of the general as he can stomach and he knows Stark's close to telling him to just let the arrow fly so he drops the bow and smiles snidely. "Nickel dime tour hours are officially closed. Get out."

"This isn't over," Ross warns, but leaves just the same.

"What a creep," Clint says once he's gone, but he's pretty sure it'll go down as the understatement of 2013. "How do you think Bruce will react?"

"I… don't know," Stark answers.

"You don't plan on telling him," Clint interprets his hesitance.

Stark sighs and shakes his head. "Not until I can get my own head on straight. I still have a few plays of my own to make before worrying Bruce about it."

"He's probably not going to like that when he finds out," Clint warns, but it's none of his business and he's not certain he wouldn't do the same in Stark's shoes.

"Probably not," Stark agrees. Then after a long moment of silence, both of them contemplating in their own ways no doubt, Stark adds in earnest, "By the way, thank you."

Clint nods and replies evenly, "Anytime."

***

Natasha watches with an assessing expression as Bruce tastes the borscht she's preparing. Her lips quirk up in a smug smile when it's immediately clear he likes it.

"Mmm," he hums and nods. "That's good, Natasha," he says. "Really good."

"It'll be better once the dill is added and it chills," she says after taking her own taste for inspection.

"I'm definitely going to remember the recipe," he replies with a thin smile. "Although I've heard Russian dishes require a Russian hand to make them just right," he teases.

Natasha laughs, small but earnest. "The trick isn't putting it in the fridge to chill. It's freezing it with your cold, Russian heart."

Bruce snorts. "Yeah, I definitely don't have one of those. Not here lately anyhow."

Natasha understands his meaning. "So, doc," she decides to tease him a little, "still resent me for dragging you away from Kolkata?"

Bruce sighs, still smiling, and shakes his head. "I should probably say yes," he answers. "I didn't know what I was missing."

Natasha lets it go at that, knowing the 'thank you for showing me' goes unspoken, and begins stirring the dill into the soup. After a few moments of silence, only broken partially by the distant chatter of Steve, Sam, Thor and Dr. Hansen, there for a check in, Natasha glances sideways at Bruce. She's been keeping her eyes open since New Year's Eve and something still niggles at the back of her mind.

"You know, I was with Tony a lot when he was dying from palladium poisoning," she starts.

Bruce tenses, but she's trained to notice it. Otherwise he states calmly enough, "Tony's mentioned it. Something about you stabbing him in the neck with lithium dioxide?"

Natasha looks at him with a deliberate smile and deadpans, "Good times."

"Sounds like it. But, uh, I… You know I've wondered…"

Natasha raises an eyebrow when he doesn’t finish. “Please don’t tell me you’re actually jealous of me.”

“No, I—" he starts in protest, but then chuckles and shakes his head. “I wouldn’t say jealous. Just, you know, morbidly curious perhaps.”

She contemplates how to continue. “What if I said yes?” she decides to challenge. “Hypothetically?”

He freezes for a second. “I suppose I would follow it up with another question. Did you want it or were you just taking advantage of him?”

Now Natasha freezes. She considers the question long and hard, making a study of why he might be concerned about that. “I didn’t,” she answers his original query. “Almost, but it was unnecessary so I didn’t. And it would have been for the job,” she admits. He doesn’t seem to like that answer in spite of the confirmation nothing happened and awkward silence follows. Finally she breaks it again, trying to understand where his head is at on the subject. “You know you can’t save his virtue, Bruce.” It’s not a question. Stark’s reputation is what it is.

“I know,” Bruce says evenly. “And I’m not. It’s… complicated.”

“By that you mean it’s a secret,” Natasha replies knowingly. At least now she knows for certain it hasn't all been in her mind. Something _is_ going on, but whatever it is the man clearly isn't going to share it with her if she pushes now. “Look, I won’t intrude. And I know I’m probably not anybody’s top choice for this kind of thing, but if you need an ear…” She shrugs.

“And a shoulder?” He asks in a way that suggests he’s grateful for her offer.

She smiles thinly and teases, “That may be pushing it a little.”

He chuckles softly and is just about to say something else when Tony and Clint come into the kitchen. Natasha knows from a message from Clint that they had been downstairs attending to a pest problem. Tony walks directly toward Bruce and wraps his arms around him. He does so in a light manner, propping his chin on Bruce's shoulder, but Natasha can guess he just wants the excuse for tangible contact.

"What's cooking, good looking?" Tony asks with a quick nuzzle to Bruce's ear. Natasha rolls her eyes at their domesticity.

"You're flirting with the wrong person," Bruce says wryly, craning his neck to eye him. "Natasha's cooking."

Tony straightens up with a gleam in his eyes, hands falling from Bruce's waist. He takes a step back and says, "So essentially what I'm hearing is you're not busy right now."

Bruce turns a little to face him. "No. Why? Something up?"

Natasha groans internally and she closes her eyes, knowing Tony wouldn't dream of passing up the obvious joke.

"Well, it's certainly on its way," Tony replies, leer obvious in his voice even with her eyes closed.

She opens her eyes in time to see Bruce give him a look that seems to say he only finds it amusing because it's Tony. "Not one of your best," he tells him just the same.

"You're right," Tony says with a nod. "But, if you have a few minutes, I did want to discuss something with you in the lab."

"Alright," Bruce agrees easily and they start to leave.

"Only a few minutes?" Natasha calls after them with a lilt. "Sounds disappointing, Bruce."

Tony turns back to say something no doubt lewd, but doesn't get the chance because Bruce laughs, shakes his head, and pushes him out of the room before he can.

Natasha turns back to her borscht with a crooked grin that Clint spots easily because he says, "Yeah, they're starting to grow on me too. The jerks."

She snorts, but it's quickly followed by a sigh. She doesn't like getting attached. She doesn't like letting her guard down. She doesn't like trusting new people. But she's already starting to realize it might be a losing battle with her new team.

"Ross isn't going to let up," she says knowingly as she turns off the burner and moves the pot away from it to begin the initial cooling.

"Nope," Clint agrees. "And Tony's not about to back down."

"He might be in over his head with this one," Natasha says realistically.

"Yeah, but he's not alone either," Clint points out. "He's got us. And Fury's doing what he can."

"It may not be enough," she presses. When he doesn't say anything she asks him, "Do we know what all is in that petition?"

"Of course not," Clint says with a hitch of his shoulders. "The only ones with access to the full petition at this point are Congress members and Level 10s and higher. All us peons know is _blah blah blah_ Hulk good guy and _blah blah blah_ no more Hulkbusters."

Her lips turn up involuntarily in amusement, but she schools it back into a hard line quickly after. "Whatever it is, it's got Ross rattled enough to bark."

"And it's the bite we have to worry about," Clint says with a nod as he looks away at nothing in particular. "Tasha…"

"I know. It's risky, but it has to be done."

***

_Tony thrashes against the examination table, slightly angled upright, as needle after needle draws blood from him. He knows it's just a matter of time before there's nothing left for them to take. He tries to scream, but there's already no energy left to do so._

_When his father looms over him all he can manage is a hoarse, "Why?" When is somebody going to tell him **why?**_

_“So we can do the impossible," Howard answers, sounding like he's standing on the platform of one of his popular Stark expos. "Starting with him." He gestures broadly with one hand like the reveal of a new technological marvel._

_Tony follows the gesture and feels his heart sink. Bruce is strapped to the other examination table and just now he realizes that some of the blood being drained from him is being transfused to the unconscious physicist._

_"What... what are you..." Tony can't find the words beyond his panicked confusion. "What will it do to him?" He finally barks._

_"Fix him of course," Howard says as if it's obvious. "That's what we do, Tony. We fix things."_

_"He doesn't need fixed!" Tony growls with only the strength of his anger to fuel his adrenaline. "There's nothing wrong with him!"_

_"I understand your feelings for him, Tony," Howard says so unexpectedly gently that it's alarming and very obviously patronizing. "But we can't let that blind us to the things that are important. Dr. Banner has the chance to be the greatest soldier of our time with just a little tweaking."_

_Suddenly Bruce begins to convulse, skin turning green but muscles not bulging with the change. His eyes open wide and are a vibrant green, but the cry of pain that follows is all Bruce._

_"Bruce," Tony whispers his boyfriend's name in shock and then realization. "You're hurting him!" It doesn't make sense. Bruce can't be hurt. Right?_

_"Well, yes," Howard looks momentarily put upon, "there is the possibility it will reverse the affects of his usual transformation to a point that what's left of his toxic blood may kill him before it's all eradicated."_

_Tony's eyes widen and he fights hard against the straps that hold him down once more. "You can't do this! You can't take him from me! I won't let you! I won't let you!" He practically snarls at his father._

_When he looks at Bruce again, ultimate fear settles into his bones as suddenly General Ross appears with an expression so cruel that—_

Tony wakes with a gasp, sweat pouring from his skin and breathing ragged as he looks around the dark room. Of course it was a dream. Logically he's suddenly aware that nothing about it had even made sense. His blood wouldn't have any effect on Bruce. But that doesn't stop the shaking. It doesn't stop the sick knot in his stomach that reminds him he's still very, very afraid of anything happening to Bruce. He can talk big, and he means to back it up with action, but deep down he's terrified. He's terrified he won't be enough. If there's one thing he can't fail at, it's keeping Bruce safe.

Tony looks over at the physicist to see he's still soundly asleep. Tony is grateful his nightmare hadn't manifested violently enough to have startled Bruce awake. Getting Bruce to sleep in the same bed with him had been its own fun little battle, but one that had been worth it. Bruce is always worth it.

Which is why he has to get these nightmares and triggers in check, he thinks suddenly. He can't afford to let his mind be focused on himself right now. He needs to focus on protecting Bruce.

Tony doesn't care that it's three in the morning. He's nothing if not proactive when he makes up his mind on something. So he quietly removes himself from the bed and finds some clothes to throw on before making his way to Steve's apartment.

Steve doesn't seem to appreciate his proactive inclination. He's bleary eyed and rumpled and confused when he lets him in. "Is something wrong?" He sounds like he's trying to be concerned, alert, but it barely masks his annoyance at being woken up.

Tony can't help but make the most of the opportunity by annoying him further. "The only thing wrong is that robe with those slippers," he says with a small, playful grimace as Steve blinks and looks down like he's trying to process the point. "And please tell me you're at least wearing underwear," he adds with a genuine grimace. Not that he wouldn't answer the door with nothing but a robe too or anything, but imagining Captain America doing so (which is probably ridiculous since he was in the army, he tells himself) is more than his brain can handle at three a.m.

Steve gives a longsuffering sigh and just nods. "Well, clearly you didn't wake me up because of an emergency," Steve says and runs a hand through his hair; it looks slightly damp like he'd taken a shower and hadn't bothered to dry it before calling it a night. Or maybe the guy night sweats. He knows that he keeps his bedroom temperature a few degrees cooler than he used to since sharing it with Bruce.

When Tony doesn't answer Steve sighs again, short this time, before fixing Tony with a very gentle and piteous look. "Did you and Bruce have a fight?"

Tony's eyes widen. "What? No— and don't ask it like, like _that_."

Steve's expression is immediately one of confusion. "Like what?"

"I don't know. Like you're my dad or—well, not my dad because he was an asshole and the real reason I'm here, but like you're my mom or something." Tony shivers involuntarily and immediately regrets his rash decision not to put this off until a more decent hour. "I half expect you to offer to make me hot cocoa and tell me Bruce and I will make up. It's… weird."

"Weirder than barging into a person's apartment at three in the morning?" Steve asks in a resigned tone. "But, fine, how about hot apple cider instead?" He then asks in good humor.

Tony snorts in spite of himself. "I guess that's less mom and more aunt at least," he responds with a hitch of a shoulder and Steve chuckles.

Then after a moment Steve frowns. "Wait, this is about Howard?"

Tony sighs and moves to sit down on the edge of the couch. Steve follows suit, sitting in an armchair that's at an angle he can look at him.

"You already know that I was a sick kid and have the weird blood issue," Tony says to the point, "so I'll skip ahead. Bruce and I eventually figured out what was going on."

"Well, I figured as much," Steve says after a moment of a clear consideration. "You two don't exactly skimp on the exchange of bodily fluids."

"Thank goodness," Tony quips. "Those were dark days." He then pauses, debating how to continue. "Bruce also told me about the vials of blood you gave to my dad. I… I guess maybe I should say thank you."

He still hates that there's so much of him now that he's uncertain about because of it, and he hates the triggers and the idea of what happened to him, but at the very least it's still true that he's healthy because of it and he's alive and being alive means, at the very least, being with Bruce. Steve's blood gave him that chance at a much lower cost than what it took to get Bruce to him.

Steve furrows his brow. "Bruce more or less implied it's not something you should be thanking me for."

"Well, no, it was naïve of you. Or maybe my dad wasn't so far gone yet. Maybe he really did think he was doing the right thing." Tony shrugs. Just like with how his dad had sent him some weird message from beyond the grave it's hard to understand how his father's mind worked. He lies awake wondering _if_ there was any misguided good intent in Howard's use of the blood on him or if it was solely because he was an easy guinea pig. He doubts he'll ever know.

"Then why—"

"Because your blood _cured me_ , Steve," Tony confesses and Steve's eyes go wide.

"So it wasn't a coincidence that there were similarities?" Steve asks very slowly, cautiously. He's clearly more awake now.

Tony shakes his head. "The reason I stopped being sick… the reason my DNA is the way it is… It's because my dad," Tony breathes in sharply and tightens his jaw, forcing himself to continue, "he treated me several times with, um, some off shoot variation of the serum mixed with your blood."

He hears the sharp intake of breath, but doesn't look up to see Steve's accompanying expression. "My god, Howard," he mutters. "Before it was just a stray thought when Bruce mentioned everything," he says in a tentative tone. "I… I didn't actually think he…" There's a long moment of silence and Tony lets it be, knowing the revelation is a shock and the super soldier needs time. Finally he says, "I'm so sorry. Are you… _okay_?"

“The jury’s still out, Cap,” he tries to deflect. Steve gives him a reprimanding look. “I’m a clean bill of health now for the most part. Apparently your blood mutated mine so that it takes much longer for things to affect me if they do at all.” He shrugs.

Steve looks contemplative. “And the consequences? Are there any? Because from what I hear every time someone tries to replicate the serum it doesn’t go well.”

Tony considers it and is reminded of his conversation about privilege with Bruce. He knows how lucky he is that it hadn't been as bad as it was for Bruce - not that he doesn't think the Big Guy is swell, he knows how much trouble it's caused the physicist because others don't seem to think he's swell - or even Blonsky.

“Uh, well it maybe might have had other minor effects as far as Bruce and I can tell from our research. It, you know, increases things like stamina and the ability to drink like a fish and um—"

"Oh," Steve tones before he can finish and looks a bit sheepish. "You mean…" He looks down at his lap. "You mean the sex drive," he says knowingly with a nod. Then his eyes widen and he looks up. "But if you already had Howard's baseline drive…"

"Uh, yeah, seems like it took overdrive to hyperdrive." He belatedly realizes what they're discussing and he looks at Steve in slight bewilderment. "Wait, you know about the sex drive problem?"

Steve scratches at his red cheek a little. "Let's just say it was a bit of a learning curve figuring out how to control it."

"I don't know _why_ I'm surprised," Tony says honestly. "I mean, I get it's the testosterone and I assumed already your stamina and refractory period would be stellar and—" Tony stops short when his brain catches up to him. "That's, wow, that's not to say I thought of you in that way… Okay, kind of a lie. I obviously think about everyone in that way at least once even if I'm just cataloging theories about a person in bed. But—"

"You can stop at anytime," Steve practically pleads.

"Noted." There's an awkward moment of silence. "Okay, so both you and Bruce have the sex drive increase, but still manage to keep it under control and then there's me," he thinks out loud, feeling once more a little like he doesn't know how to handle that piece of the puzzle. He thinks of how Bruce had insisted it's not just him all the time, but it's still hard not to feel a little like he could try harder.

"It's not easy, Tony," Steve says soberly. It's a little too sober for the subject. "And I don't know how it is for you or Bruce, but it's much worse when you actually give in. It's like…" He clears his throat and Tony feels a little like Steve is about to give him 'the talk' or something. "It's like when you go one round, your body needs to go so many more before it's satisfied until the next time it gets going that much again. And that's objectively. When you're with someone you care about it's like you just… You can't get enough. It's not only about the sex and hell if I can explain it without it sounding like, well, magic or something, but you just want to be with that person as often as you can. It's both good and bad because it helps you keep the urges in check because you just want that person, but at the same time you have to take into consideration what they're feeling."

Tony stares dumbfounded at the super soldier as he finishes his little speech. He thinks back to his conversation with Bruce, how Bruce had said he went years somehow until being with him, and realizes it really must be a similarity between the two men who didn't have Tony's drive to begin with. But more than that he also feels something akin to what Steve is talking about regarding keeping the urges in check while considering the other person. That had been exactly his fear when he'd started to wonder if he made Bruce uncomfortable. And maybe, as illogical and unscientific as it sounds, it's even why the thought of leaving Bruce for someone else during their time out had cut so deep. He loves Bruce, he wants to be with Bruce, and his body seems to be in accord with that.

"I think I get it, Cap," he says with an earnest nod. "It doesn't make a hell of a lot of sense like you said, but I think I get it." He lets the moment linger for a moment before adding, "And, you know, I know waking up in a different era has got to be an adjustment in and of itself, but I hope you find somebody else that does that for you again, Steve."

Steve knits his brow for a moment as if considering the sentiment and then opens his mouth slowly to say something, but he's too slow apparently. JARVIS interrupts.

_Sir, Dr. Banner was inquiring as to your whereabouts. When I told him, he asked if everything is alright._

Tony smiles genuinely, but it turns into a devious smirk as he stands. "Tell him, no worries. Steve and Sam just invited me for a threesome."

He looks at Steve expecting him to be flustered by that remark, but to his surprise Steve snorts and says, "You wish." Tony looks at him strangely as he stands as well, but before he can consider it any further Steve is looking at him in gentle admonishment. "You know, maybe you shouldn't say things like that to him. It's not exactly what a person likes to hear."

Tony rolls his eyes slightly. "I appreciate the concern, but one of the things that makes Bruce great is he gets my sense of humor and is quite the witty banterer himself. He's probably already thinking of a comeba—"

_He says that news comes as a relief. Now he doesn't feel guilty about his threesome with Agents Barton and Romanoff._

Tony chuckles and shrugs his shoulders. "See? He's pretty much perfect."

Steve shakes his head, but he has a small smile on his face. "Alright, alright. Whatever works for you, I guess."

Tony smiles broadly, salaciously. "Oh it definitely works. So if you'll excuse me." He turns to leave, but he doesn't quite make it to the door.

"Hey, Tony," Steve says with a sigh, "I really am sorry. Sometimes I think if I could have known all the repercussions my volunteering for Erskine's experiment would lead to, I wouldn't have done it. All the lives that have been destroyed just because I wanted to be a soldier…"

Tony bites his lip and turns around. "I guess all you can do is look for the silver lining, Cap. You have to find something or…" he thinks of Bruce, naturally, "…someone that makes you think about how you couldn't imagine your life having turned out any differently. I do wish Bruce hadn't had it so bad and I'd try to imagine a world where that never happened to him if it means he'd have been happy and safe even if not with me, but you don't have to worry about _me_ okay?"

Steve looks thoughtful for a moment before nodding. They don't say anything more than goodnight after that and Tony makes his way back to his own apartment.

"Barton and Romanoff, huh?" He asks as he reenters the bedroom and wastes no time throwing off his shirt and crawling back into bed so that he's hovering over Bruce. The physicist has a deliciously wry smile on his face as he hums a little in pretend affirmation of the query. "You know, I'm kind of imagining a scenario where Natasha pegged you both."

Bruce laughs suddenly and deeply, eyes closing and head bobbing against the pillow. The sight of it intoxicates Tony and he smiles so wide it practically hurts his heart because it swells in response. Eventually his laughter subsides with an amused sigh as he opens his eyes and looks at him.

"Come here, you," Bruce says and his hand splays around Tony's neck to bring him down for a kiss.

Tony can practically taste the contentment between them and for a beautiful, hazy moment there's nothing else, no fears or worries or pasts or mutations. They kiss until they're breathless and when they break apart Tony closes his eyes and presses his forehead firmly against Bruce's, just relishing the closeness as his lungs fill back up with oxygen.

"So, what were you really up to?" Bruce asks at length.

"Decided to finally take your advice and go confront Steve," he admits, moving back enough to look at Bruce again.

Bruce looks slightly surprised by that answer. "It's the middle of the night," he says, and he sounds fondly skeptical.

"Well, you know me. Ready, fire, aim," he replies with a laugh at himself.

Bruce rolls his eyes slightly. "I'm sure Steve appreciated the early morning heart to heart," he muses. The hand that had been around Tony's neck is still there, massaging the nape and playing with his hair. "Are you okay?" He then asks with genuine concern shining in his eyes. "Did it help?"

Tony gives a small twist of his lips to one side and looks away from Bruce toward the headboard. "You know, I think it really did." He looks back at Bruce in time to see the way his features soften with relief. "It feels like a small weight's been lifted. He knows and he's sorry it happened. And… something about that makes it a little easier."

Bruce smiles a small smile and his hand caresses through his hair before coming to rest against his cheek. "Good," he says softly.

That's all he says before they're kissing again, but it's enough because Tony knows what he means is _I just want you to be okay_. And as each press of lips becomes more charged than the last, Tony has that same determined desire for Bruce. Anyone who threatens that will have to come through him first.

***

The day starts like just about every other day has for the past six weeks, only now instead of being constricted to SHIELD he's constricted to a luxurious tower. Sam wanders around trying to feel like a functioning human being again until either Steve or Dr. Hansen show up and tell him not to strain himself and be mindful of his exertion levels. It's absolutely frustrating because he's fairly certain he's fine by now. He's exerted himself plenty beyond the light recommendation in various ways and nothing's happened. It's only when he gets really breathless that he just needs a minute to compose himself and it's hardly _that bad_ , he insists stubbornly.

The day takes a dramatic turn when there's an AIM attack directly on Stark Tower. At first there's outright confusion as to how they infiltrated the building to begin with, but then there's panic regarding the civilian lives, whether the public on levels 1 through 5 or the many Stark Industries employees. So Sam actually finds himself able to do something useful.

He can't go straight into the thick of things, but he helps Pepper and Bruce, who decidedly doesn't want to risk a Hulk provocation in Stark Tower unless absolutely necessary, herd civilians into the underground bunker by way of an emergency elevator Stark had planned ahead for while Steve, Tony, and Clint deal with the A.I.M. agents; SHIELD backup is likely on its way as well since they're short Thor who was away from the tower with Jane and Natasha who'd left the day before for some deep stealth recon that they weren't even allowed to discuss apparently.

It's not exactly an exciting task, but it's _something_. And Sam genuinely wants to help protect people. If being regulated to helping the metaphorical women and children is what it takes until he's free and clear to kick ass again, he's inclined to accept it for what it is. And it's a pretty nice bunker. Of course leave it to Tony Stark to think of luxury even in times of crisis.

"So, how do you like it here so far, Sam?" Pepper asks him as she, him and Bruce sit in a set of seats they've grouped together in a spot where they are near to the elevator and also able to keep an eye on everyone.

At first Sam thinks she's being teasing since he's been there for going on exactly one week and there's already been an attack. But then he sees her eyes pass from him to Bruce and a more studious glance at the physicist shows him that he's clearly on high alert. He just looks uneasy. Maybe it's because Tony is upstairs fighting AIM – which hadn't gone so hot for any of them last time – or maybe because he's aware he's essentially trapped underground with a large crowd of people on top of it. Maybe it's a little bit of both or something else entirely. Sam only knows that Pepper knows Bruce well enough to have sensed it and is trying to help keep the mood light.

“Is it sad if I say today has been the highlight so far?” Sam asks jokingly. Bruce looks at him sharply. It’s slightly terrifying even if he trusts the man’s control (if he didn’t he’s fairly certain Tony would throw him out of the tower). “What?” he protests with an incredulous chuckle. “Steve and Dr. Hansen seem to think I’m crippled. The tower is nicer than SHIELD, sure, but I haven’t gotten to do much more here than there. Not that I’m complaining either. I’m not ungrateful to Tony.”

Bruce’s face softens. “No, I know you’re not,” he says. “And, yeah, I guess I can see where you might be ready for a little more action. I’ve been around a few times when Steve was harping on you.”

“As have I,” Pepper chimes in with a short laugh.

Sam groans. “Who knew he could be such a mother hen?” He pauses. "Don't get me wrong. It's nice to know he cares, but he's such a stickler for my keeping a tight schedule when it comes to exertion. He... He uses a stop watch sometimes." He scrubs his face with one hand. 

Bruce chuckles which Sam takes as a good sign Pepper’s plan is working. “Well, it’s possible he just can’t help himself with that. Being elderly and all. You know how it was back in his day.”

Sam laughs outright. And after that they’re quiet for a long moment. Sam listens to the chattering of the other people there with them, not really catching more than bits and pieces.

“It’s obvious he’s the guy,” says one woman. “Why else would he be so friendly with Ms. Potts and the Avengers if he wasn’t with Mr. Stark all the time?”

Sam’s eyes widen and he glances at Bruce. It’s clear he’s heard as well. Rather than seem worried, he has a thin smile on his face.

“More than that,” replies a man, “did you know he has free access to all the labs at any time _and_ Mr. Stark’s personal elevator? They’re definitely on very friendly terms at least, but I’d bet on his being the mystery man for sure.” Then he sighs. “I wonder what he’s got that I don’t.”

The previous woman agrees with an emphatic sigh of her own. “Me too.”

Bruce ducks his head and looks at Pepper and him with a wry smile. “They're not the only ones that have wondered,” Bruce says in a hushed tone.

“Whatever it is it got Tony from the start,” Pepper says with a smile of her own. “He didn’t stand a chance.”

“Neither did I,” Bruce replies.

Sam opens his mouth to comment on the two men’s relationship when there’s a shrill alarm that goes off twice. “What was that?” he asks instead.

Bruce and Pepper exchange a look. "JARVIS? Do you have access down here?" Bruce asks.

_Voice pattern recognized. Trusted party. Initiate safety protocols._

They all three furrow their brow. "JARVIS?" Bruce repeats.

_Hello, Dr. Banner. My access to this portion of the tower is only enabled by certain voice patterns. I will now be able to assist you._

Sam looks around at the confused SI employees and hears some whispers.

"JARVIS, what's going on upstairs?" Bruce presses for answers. "What was that alarm that just went off?"

_I am not certain I should answer, sir. I do not wish to violate my protocol of keeping you safe._

"What does that mean?" Sam queries and looks at Bruce in confusion.

"Oh god," Bruce breathes out. "Is… is everything alright up there? Is…" He seems to be debating with the question and it's only when Pepper asks it for him that Sam understands why.

"JARVIS, Tony better not be up there making a mess," she says. "Is he okay? The others?"

"If you don't tell me, it'll be much worse," Bruce warns. "I need to know."

_There has been a chemical agent released in the building._

"Not again," Sam bites out. He had already been taken from the AIM facility, but he knows all about what had happened. He knows Bruce does too and his fear for Tony is written all over his face.

_SHIELD is attempting to contain it. AIM has been mostly dealt with, but further evacuation from the bunker is not currently advised._

"JARVIS, you didn't answer the question," Bruce says with just enough harshness in his tone that it's clear his control may be slipping.

There is a long pregnant pause and Sam wonders if the AI is actually hesitating. He'll never stop being amazed by his sentience. Finally, he responds.

_The three Avengers have been moved to SHIELD medical for monitoring and treatment. Agent Barton was the first to be evacuated as he was already most vulnerable to the chemical and already on his way to losing consciousness. As there were no other available options at the time, Mr. Stark gave Agent Barton the use of his helmet as a shield against the chemical until he was able to get out._

Sam sees Bruce and Pepper share a look between them that he can't quite decipher, but it's a mixture of worry and some kind of knowing. "What about Tony then?" Pepper asks.

_He was able to evacuate safely and proceeded to lose consciousness on the way to SHIELD medical._

"And Cap?" Sam asks quickly. He knows he's likely fine, but he's still concerned and he'd rather deflect from the focus on Tony for Bruce's sake.

_Captain Rogers is fatigued, but otherwise there seems to be no concern._

"When can we leave, JARVIS?" Bruce speaks again and the question sounds more like a demand that the AI say sooner rather than later.

_Between the tower's filtration system and SHIELD hazard team, clearance is estimated to be given in thirty five minutes._

"Thank you, JARVIS," Bruce says and he sounds resigned to their fate. Sam takes it to mean the man has regained his control now that he knows the worst of it. He then sighs and leans in to tell Pepper, just loud enough that Sam overhears, "I just really hope I'm able to be there when he wakes up."

Sam understands.

***

"Are you ever going to tell me what the deal is with the sudden mood eyes?" It's the first thing from Tony's lips when he regains consciousness and Bruce comes back from inside his head, where he'd been trying to assure the Other Guy that Tony was okay, blinking several times as he does. "It clearly has something to do with Hulk," Tony says knowingly.

Bruce looks at Tony pointedly when he's refocused. "That depends. Are you going to stop giving up your armor when you need it?"

Tony immediately balks. "I only gave up the helmet this time. I wasn't completely defenseless. Besides, I figured I probably wouldn't be in too much danger without it. Not like Clint."

Bruce sighs and nods. "I know _why_ you did it. I just don't want you to go around thinking you're invincible, Tony. We don't know that for certain. The palladium almost killed you. You push the limits too much, there might be an issue."

"Invincible Iron Man is trademarked actually," Tony quips and Bruce attempts to remain patient with him. Tony seems to get his lack of humor and backtracks. "Look, don't worry. I don't intend to make it a habit." He starts to push up in the bed. "It's not like I enjoy waking up in—" He stops short and looks down at his arm in panic. "It's sore," he says and Bruce moves to his side immediately. Tony is inspecting his arm with wide eyes. "It's… There's a needle mark, Bruce." He looks up at him then and holds it out. "There's a _needle mark_ ," he sounds desperate.

Bruce takes his arm gently into his hands and studies it carefully. His stomach falls slightly, but he wills himself to be logical. "You're right. There's a needle mark," he says evenly and then moves one hand to cup Tony's face, trying to ease his sudden anxiety. "But you know it's probably because they had to give you some sort of injection to counter the effects of the chemical. Medical has no way of knowing about your blood or the fact that you probably don't need the injection. They probably just thought they were doing their job, taking precautions."

Bruce feels Tony's muscles relax and the engineer nods. He then lets out a sharp breath. "Right. Okay. No need for me to panic." But then he looks down at his arm again, at the puncture, and Bruce can see the moment it triggers more haunting thoughts in his mind.

"I can talk to the Other Guy," Bruce confesses, in part because he's been trying to find an appropriate moment and the courage to do so and in part because maybe it will distract Tony and that gives him the boost of courage he needs.

Sure enough Tony's mood changes drastically and as Bruce lets his hands move back finally he sees the anxiety shift to shock. He gapes for a moment before responding. "You can talk to him?"

Bruce takes a breath and nods. "It's… not consistent," he hedges. "But I was curious after that day…"

"In the lab?" Tony recalls immediately, straightening his back in obvious interest. "You said you'd heard him."

"Yes," Bruce confirms. "And also when Hulk was in control," he says slowly, looking for how best to explain it aloud, "I heard him say a few things to me and… instead of being unconscious it was like I was in a really deep, dark dream. Like how you feel conscious in your dreams, but you're still unconscious?"

Tony furrows his brow. "So like an astral plane of sorts?" Bruce nods minutely. "Huh. That's… That's incredible," he says, perking up as he takes in the information.

"I was surprised and, I guess, curious. So I tried reaching out to him again while meditating one day and he responded."

"Shit, that's a trip," Tony responds in eager disbelief. "So you can have conversations with him now? Is it only when you're meditating? That explains why you've been so deep in your trances lately. What's it mean when your eyes turn green? Because I've seen it… Just now again actually. You opened your eyes for a moment and your eyes were green."

Bruce's head spins slightly at the onslaught of questions and information. He knows Tony can't help himself and at least his plan had worked. Still, he doesn't know all the answers as he's still only coming to grips with it himself.

"I don't know a lot yet," he starts pointedly. "Like I said before, it's not consistent. Sometimes he doesn't respond no matter how deep I go."

"Maybe he doesn't feel like talking," Tony offers with a casual shrug, as if it's the most obvious explanation in the world. Maybe it is.

"Maybe," Bruce concedes. "And, no, I don't always have to be in a meditative state. On one occasion he… I guess he pushed forward enough in my subconscious and I heard him. I've always had that to an extent I guess, a sort of rumble or niggling in the back of my mind that I've associated with the Other Guy. It's always been the thing that I've used to try and keep him in check," he admits. "But never distinct words before that moment."

"That must have been pretty intense for you," Tony says and there's a hint of concern in spite of how obviously intrigued he is.

"It was. And I feel even crazier now," he adds with a derisive snort. "It's seriously dissociative. But I guess if it helps in the long run…" His sentence trails and he shrugs.

"Hopefully it helps you both," Tony responds. Then he gives a considering look. "You know, maybe when your eyes turn green it's because he's pushed forward enough for him to have some control of your body without, well, the other side effects. Or maybe you're sharing with him and you don't even realize it," Tony theorizes.

Bruce frowns. "I'd really rather not contemplate any of that yet," he says honestly. There's a whole score of reasons, notwithstanding the fact that it's discomforting enough having another entity in his head that transforms his body without having to share his 'puny Banner' body and experiences as well. He wants some separation still. "It's overwhelming enough as it is."

"Understandable," Tony says softly and thankfully backs off the subject. "But out of curiosity, what do you guys talk about?"

Bruce smiles thinly. "You've come up a few times," he confesses coyly.

Unsurprisingly Tony smiles brightly. "All good things, I hope."

Bruce chuckles. "Well, he wasn't too happy with you for your little stunt today either. He was upset with me for not letting him help." Tony chuckles as well. "Thankfully when I explained to him Clint would have been worse off if you hadn't helped him, he calmed down a little. Apparently he's got a bit of a soft spot for the 'funny bird' as he calls him," he explains.

Tony's eyebrows shoot up. "Should I be concerned? Jealous?" The questions are accompanied by a smirk, but his eyes are also a tad darker than before.

"Possibly," Bruce replies with a smirk of his own. He shrugs. "That threesome must have left quite an impression."

Before Bruce can barely blink, Tony is out of the bed and attacking his lips. Bruce also finds himself suddenly pressed against the nearest wall of the small room. He kisses back just as fiercely.

"I'm going to have to fix that," Tony pulls away and presses his mouth near his ear.

"Not here," Bruce protests, even as the thrill of the moment rushes through him and makes his body respond.

There's a window in the door and anyone could walk by and see. The room is more than likely monitored by surveillance as well. Of course, it only then hits him that he probably shouldn't have been so tactile with Tony already and if it's auditory surveillance then now SHIELD will know about his Hulk discovery. Of course, that latter concern somehow fades into the background as Tony kisses him hard again and the more pressing concern of getting caught like this floods his senses.

"They're already betting on us," Tony points out when he moves his lips to graze Bruce's jaw. "This would definitely be one way to end the speculation." He sounds almost too inclined to want that kind of dramatic outing.

Bruce closes his eyes, lust coursing through him, and tries to breathe evenly. He wrestles with himself. On the one hand, they're kissing and it's probably on surveillance so unless somebody intervenes and security is bound to secrecy regarding what they've seen, the chances of it being a secret any longer is astronomical. On the other hand, Bruce isn't really certain he won't regret letting them be voyeuristic at SHIELD of all places once the pleasure fogging his sensibilities subsides.

"Not here," Bruce repeats, making a decision."Trust me," he adds lustily so that Tony doesn't get an entirely wrong idea, "I wouldn't mind letting you make an impression right here and now for anyone to see." Tony groans and captures his lips again, pressing him more firmly against the wall. "But… do you… really want to give… SHIELD the sa— satisfaction?"

Tony pulls away at that and it's a very good thing because as he's told him before, his control can be barely restrained at times too. Any further and logic wouldn't have been a very strong voice in his mind.

"You're right," Tony replies with a nod, but his eyes are still dark with desire. "Why do that when there's a perfectly good hotel across the street?"

This time Bruce groans. "Then let's get out of here."

***

Betty breathes deeply as the elevator carries her upward to her destination. It's not that she's a nervous individual by default, not to this extent anyhow, but there's a lot riding on this particular meeting and a lot of unknown variables. But she's sure Bruce will understand and trust her so that makes it a little bit easier.

When the elevator opens and she enters the large entertaining space she was delivered to her breath catches slightly. It's opulent to say the least and she wonders at Bruce fitting in here. It's everything he's probably ever deserved in his life, since she knows just how miserable his childhood had been, but it also seems so far removed from the Bruce she's ever known. Then again, he had to run from her father for years so maybe it's just enough that he has a place to be at all.

When her eyes finish roving around the space they settle on the man standing at the bar, drink in hand and studying her carefully. He's one of the unknown variables and it dawns on her that they're alone. For one reason or another, she won't be pleading her case to Bruce – at least not without pleading it to Tony Stark first.

"Are you in the habit of screening Bruce's visitors for him?" Betty decides to challenge without segue way.

She's inclined to get a real feel for just exactly the kind of man Stark is. After all, she knows a lot about him. She knows her dad had commissioned weapons from him and she knows Stark once tore down her dad's favorite bar and she knows he's an Avenger now and she knows he's been a notorious womanizer, say nothing of any and all man-eating there might have been as well, and she knows that there's just so much she doesn't know about who he really might be, other than someone she could tell right away Bruce has fallen hard for.

"Yes," Tony answers easily, taking a sip of his drink. "But that's mostly your father's doing."

Betty frowns. His answer is sharp and to the point. And she realizes she doesn't blame him. There are people after Bruce and even if he can take care of himself, or with the Hulk's help, Tony is trying to eliminate the need for him to do so. If she'd had any doubts seeing them together at the hotel restaurant, knowing Tony cares this much is a good erosive.

"I'm not my father," Betty says matter-of-factly.

"Oh, I know," Tony says with a nod. "Bruce trusts you and I trust him." He hitches a shoulder. "As it happens, Bruce isn't here at the moment. Contrary to what you might have imagined—"

"I didn't imagine anything," she interjects, but he presses on.

"—I'm not keeping him imprisoned here. He went to this little store a few blocks over that he loves. He even got Steve to let Sam tag along for the trip. Of course Steve went too. Honestly, you'd think the guy was following him around like a lovesick puppy if you'd seen it," he says with a chuckle.

Betty scrunches her face at the casual conversation with snippets about Bruce's interests and about people she doesn't know. And that's when it hits her. He's doing it on purpose.

He's presenting her with the subtle suggestion that this is Bruce's life, _his home_ , now and these people are important to him. _He's threatened_. Tony Stark is actually _threatened_ _by her_. It's amusing, flattering, and comforting all at once. The billionaire has everything in the world at his fingertips, but right here and now he's sending her the message that only one thing in the world matters and he's not about to let her waltz in and take that from him. She wonders if he'd be surprised how far removed that is from her intentions.

"Point is: Bruce isn't here. I am. So I thought I'd entertain you until he gets back. Drink?"

Betty shakes her head at the offer. "I came to see both of you actually," she tells him; it's the truth after all. "But I guess my timing works out for you, doesn't it?" She smiles teasingly and moves toward him. She feels a small desire to be impish now that she knows she makes him nervous. He knits his brow. "This way you can size up the competition beforehand," she elaborates with a lilt that he clearly doesn't appreciate.

In fact, he looks suddenly so stricken and actually affected by that remark that she feels guilty. She hadn't imagined a man like him could actually be this insecure. For all of the things she knows about the genius, she now also knows that he's in love and it's made him vulnerable. That reminds her of why she's here and makes her worry all the more.

"I'm not here to take Bruce away from you, Mr. Stark." She becomes serious. "I'm actually here for a very important reason. AIM is headed by Dr. Killian."

Tony's eyes widen. "What?"

"Aldrich Killian," she says deliberately. "AIM is _his_ brainchild."

"Then why the hell should I trust you?" Tony darkens immediately. "You're working for him right?"

"Because I'm telling you," she spits back defensively. "And because I have my reasons for working for him, Mr. Stark. Killian has been trying to crack the cellular code for years. And he's almost there," she warns. "I started working with him not knowing what was really going on. I'm still working for him because now I do."

"You're telling me you're undercover there?" Tony asks more calmly.

"I'm not going to let what happened to Bruce happen to anyone else if I can help it," she answers. "But something else has come up," she continues vaguely. "That's why I'm here."

Tony takes another drink and then says. "Fine, I'm listening."

"My father has had several meetings with Killian," she starts.

"Hmm, well, I'm assuming whatever he's working on is weaponizable so maybe the general has found a new modem for his super soldier obsession." He shrugs. "That might not be a bad thing."

"I thought so too at first," Betty admits. "But I don't think that's it. I think he might be trying to use Killian somehow to get to Bruce."

Tony flinches, but then covers it with a quick drink. "I won't let that happen. General Ross doesn't scare me. I've matched wits with him before," he says dismissively.

Betty scowls at him. "Don't you dare underestimate my father," she warns. "The minute you do, he finds an opening. He may have already and I love Bruce too much to let you get cocky only for it to backfire and hurt him."

She sees the way he freezes, hand tightening around his glass before he sets it down. His eyes are full of jealous uncertainty, but at least she has his full attention again now.

"You still love him?"

"He was my best friend before he was my lover, Mr. Stark," Betty explains evenly. "And Bruce Banner is the kind of man I imagine," she allows herself a soft, regretful smile over what isn't to be, "once you've been in love with him, it's impossible not to be at least a little in love with him even after it's over."

Tony's eyes close slowly and he nods slightly to express his understanding. "Then you understand why I'm determined to never let it get to that point." Her face scrunches in consideration of his statement as his eyes open again. It makes her breath catch a small amount because his eyes are like steel and it's mesmerizing; his moniker suddenly fits him even without his flashy suit. "The only way it will ever be over is if I'm dead," he says and takes several steps forward until there are only a few short feet between them, his steely eyes set intensely on hers. "There's no being only a little in love with him for me, Dr. Ross. Even if he decides one day he doesn't feel the same, I'm always going to be in love with him. And I'm always going to do whatever it takes to protect him. This isn't about underestimating your father," he says in dark seriousness. "This is about knowing my limitations. And I don't have any. If killing me is the only way your father can succeed at getting to Bruce, then so be it. Until then, I'm not backing down just because he threatens."

"What?" It's followed by a crash and then shattering sound.

The bubble bursts all around them and Betty sees the panic that immediately melts the steel in Tony's eyes right before they both turn their heads in sync to see Bruce standing there like a frightened deer in headlights. Betty looks down and sees the large brown bag discarded at his feet and realizes something must have shattered inside. She then looks back up to see Bruce is coming to grips with whatever he caught of their conversation. Then Tony is in her line of vision as he heads toward him.

Bruce finally moves, but it's to take a step back and Tony freezes as if burned by the movement. "Bruce," he starts, but can't get any further.

"No," Bruce says sharply and Betty winces too. "Tell me what's going on here. What is this about?" He looks back and forth between them. "Did Ross threaten you, Tony? Were you even going to _tell me_?"

Betty furrows her brow. She knows her father has tried to get to Bruce a couple of times in the past two weeks because his operation has come under pressure from Congress and other military branches. She wonders at why Bruce seems so surprised that her father could be threatening Tony too unless…

"He doesn't know?"

"Know what?" Bruce asks without missing a beat and the way Tony tenses tells her the answer.

"My father is under pressure to find a way to secure the Hulk or else face a full decommission of his branch and a full audit. Apparently there's a petition of some sort that will be passed along to the president if he doesn't secure Hulk by the end of the month," she explains. "The military feels my father has been given ample time and the petition is more promising than letting him continue unsuccessfully."

"I knew about the petition," Bruce says with a wary nod.

"That's why my father has been trying to talk to you. He thought he could scare you somehow. Either provoke an attack by threatening you, and maybe anyone you care about," she says meaningfully, "or send you running so he has an excuse to keep hunting you. I think he might have even hoped you would turn yourself over willingly like before," she adds.

Bruce is suddenly glaring at Tony. "Did you know about this? Has he been here?"

"Once," Tony says. He then grimaces. "And he tried to crash the New Year's party."

Bruce begins pacing. "You should have told me. Why the hell didn’t you tell me!?”

“Because of this,” Tony accuses, gesturing at the way Bruce is clearly panicking. “I didn’t want him to get to you. I was going to handle it.”

Bruce stops short and glares at Tony again. “By letting him threaten _you_ instead of _me_? That’s _handling_ it?”

“He didn’t threaten me directly,” Tony states tentatively. “It’s more like he implied we, uh, that is the team, wouldn’t be able to stop him.”

“And he means it,” Betty interjects in warning. “He’s up to something, Bruce. Two days before AIM attacked Stark Tower my father met with Aldrich Killian.”

“Killian?” Bruce breaks his frustrated gaze on Tony to look at her in confusion.

“He’s the head of AIM,” she explains to the point. “More importantly I think my dad is working with him and means to make some kind of play because he more or less ordered me to go back to Virginia. I came here instead.”

“Thank you,” he says earnestly and then nods firmly. “Now I have a chance.”

“A chance to do what?” Tony asks and now he’s the one clearly panicking.

“ _Something!_ ” Bruce shouts and starts pacing again. “Since _you_ weren’t going to tell me. Since-since you were going to just sit by and let Ross get the chance to hurt you!”

“He wouldn’t,” Tony tries desperately.

“He _could_ ,” Bruce counters, stopping again. “And I can’t let that happen. I… I’m so damn angry with you for lying to me about this," he says with a shake of his head, looking around and Betty can guess what's coming next before it's even said. He looks at Tony then with a pained expression. "But god, Tony, I… I _can’t_ let that happen. I love you too much," he finishes brokenly and they just stare at one another for a long, heavy moment.

Betty feels strangely like she's prying and also strangely like she's watching a scene unfold that she herself should have been a participant of rather than just a spectator. She's happy for Bruce, honestly, and she's had feelings for others since him too, but there's still the weird numbness from knowing what she and Bruce had once had and seeing what he and Tony now have. She's sure it's happened to countless others when crossing paths with past lovers and finding them so unabashedly in love with someone else, but at the same time she's sure very few of those countless others have ever had it happen in such a strange way as this.

"Don't," Tony finally says just as brokenly. "I know what you're thinking, Bruce. But _please_ don't do it."

"I'm sorry, Tony," Bruce replies, resignation in his tone. "But I have to go."

Betty blinks several times as she realizes what's going on. "Bruce, I agree with Tony on this one," she intervenes. "It's one of the scenarios my father wants."

"What your father wants is to see me suffer." He looks at them both and then hangs his head. "This way, I'm just picking the suffering on my own terms."

"The terms aren't fair, Bruce," Tony continues to fight. Betty has to give him that. He's determined to get past Bruce's stubborn streak. "So just trust me. Give me a chance to rewrite them."

"No," Bruce says with a shake of his head. "No, Tony. I'm so sorry, but the other shoe has finally dropped."

"No it hasn't," Tony says, clearly just as stubborn. "I mean, you can go. I won't stop you." Bruce looks relatively surprised. "But don't you dare think for one damn moment that it's anything but temporary or that I'll just let Ross hunt you like an animal. I love you too much," he finishes, echoing Bruce's previous sentiment.

Bruce looks like he doesn't know how to respond to Tony's proposition. He has the freedom to go, to follow his instinct, but Tony's refusing to promise he'll sit idly by after he does. Betty gets the distinct impression that Tony is willing to chase Bruce down to the ends of the Earth to get him back if that's what it will take before all is said and done, whatever comes of her father be damned. Betty sees the slight indecision in Bruce's eyes, the second guessing, before she sees his resolution. He still thinks this is the best way to protect Tony from the full wrath of her father.

"I'm going to go pack," Bruce says softly and leaves.

When the elevator doors close, Tony makes a jerky step toward them with his hand out only to stop in place and let it fall again. He scowls hard and Betty gets the feeling it's because he's trying not to cry. Silence fills the room and Betty isn't sure what, if anything, she can do or say. When Tony breaks the silence, his tone is so bitter and broken if she hadn't been trying to help them both she would feel sorry she even came. 

"I thought you said you weren't here to take him away from me."

***

Bruce has given up trying to hold back his tears as he stares out the window of Tony's private jet. He'd made good on his promise to let him go, insisted on offering him a means to get to any destination of his choosing. That only makes it worse of course.

If only Tony knew how much he really was suffering, maybe he wouldn't have kissed him like his was the only heart breaking and pleading to be put back together again. Maybe he'd forgive him if he knew how it had taken every ounce of resolve Bruce has ever had to pull away from that kiss and walk away.

_Why stupid Banner walk away?_

Bruce sighs. He knew it was only a matter of time before the Other Guy started to make his displeasure known. The rumble had been in the back of his mind since the argument.

"Because sometimes you have to walk away to protect the people you love," he answers.

 _Hulk protect Tony._ The Other Guy says it in a snide tone, as if Bruce should know this by now.

Bruce bristles in spite of his tears. "No, Hulk. No, see that would mean Tony is in danger," he responds. "He'd have to be in danger before you could help him. It means someone would have to come after us and… and it's not a guarantee he won't get a little hurt in the process," he argues with the illogical creature in his mind. "So _Banner_ is protecting Tony, got it? _Banner_ is making sure it never comes to that."

There's silence for a long moment and Bruce dries his tears, resolved once more that removing himself from the equation means there's no cause for Ross or Killian or anyone else to go through Tony and the others to get to him. Luring Ross away from them by running is better than taking a chance as a sitting target. Maybe it'll even give SHIELD and Tony an even chance of stopping Ross without his being there risking it all. Maybe SHIELD can spin it so that his running was to prevent the threat of Ross provoking him or that Ross provoking his running all the time is more dangerous than his being under SHIELD protection where he can be monitored.

He… He certainly hopes so. He hopes against everything that Tony is right and that this will only be temporary.

_Hulk… Hulk not angry._

Bruce furrows his brow at the unusual sound of hesitation in the Other Guy's voice. Hulk has so many reasons to be angry, Bruce knows. He knows because it's his anger that seems to fuel most if not all of it. And he has so many reasons to be angrier now than ever. But as soon as the revelation hits him, tears flood Bruce's eyes once more.

_Hulk is… sad._

"I am too, Hulk. I'm sad too," he says.

And as he looks out the window again, he wonders if this whole time he's been confusing anger with sadness.

***

Tony has lost track of time since letting Bruce go. He only knows he was drunk for several hours, a sobbing sad drunk at that, and that he's been alone for almost all of it. Betty left for Virginia so as not to make her asshole of a father suspicious. Steve and Sam were there for the initial fallout and drunkenness. Clint, Thor and Pepper were next. With Pepper came Coulson who berated him for letting Bruce go instead of immediately calling SHIELD to offer him other options. That was followed by Coulson and Pepper both berating him for not just telling him the truth from the get go like they'd suggested and for not telling SHIELD about the second visit from Ross; Clint was also thoroughly berated by Coulson. After that, Tony shut himself in his apartment and refused to leave or let anyone in.

He doesn't know how long it's been since then. He only knows it already feels like an eternity since he'd kissed Bruce like it might be his last chance. The memory of it only depresses him more. The memory of it only leads to other memories. Passionate nights, lazy afternoons, hours in the lab, dinners for two, skin against skin, falling asleep in each other's arms, teasing, bantering, speaking the same language, laughter, closeness, rightness, all the things Tony knew he would be doomed to need from here on out to get by. Things that nobody but Bruce can give him because otherwise it wouldn't be the same.

"I have to get him back, JARVIS," he says brokenly as his thoughts spiral out of control yet again and end in vitriol over the situation and determination to change it.

_Yes, sir. You have said so many times. May I ask this time what you intend to do in order to get Dr. Banner back? Whatever it is, I will assist you as needed._

Tony blinks and lifts his head from where it was resting against the couch, since he's on the floor with his back against it. "You miss him too don't you, J?"

_I may be biased as you made it my second protocol to protect Dr. Banner, but yes I do, sir. Dr. Banner was quite pleasant to have around. He was intelligent, respectful, and if I may say so, made you very happy._

Tony closes his eyes tight. "Yes. Yes, he did, JARVIS. Why did I let him go?"

_That is not something I can answer._

"I thought I was doing the right thing," he answers the question himself. "He's a human being and he should have the choice. I thought he'd resent me if I tried to stop him. What…what's that saying? If you love something set it free and there supposed to come back to you?"

_Yes, sir, I believe that's the gist of it. Although there's a part in there about-  
_

"But what if he doesn't come back?" Tony asks, not caring whatever else the saying says.

"Then get off your ass and go get him, Stark."

Tony startles and scrambles up to his feet. He sees Natasha several feet away, just inside the apartment. He scowls. "How did you get in here?" He'd had his private elevator on lock down.

"That question is insulting. The real question is why you haven't gone after him yet."

Tony sighs. "Because this is what he wanted."

"You're an idiot if you think that. He didn't want to run. He just thought he didn't have any other choice."

Tony closes his eyes and walks toward the kitchen without sight. "Is there a difference?" He feels pathetic that he even has to ask. "He didn't trust me enough to stay."

"And you didn't trust him enough to be open with him from the beginning," she retorts. 

Tony stops and opens his eyes. "I guess you're right." He considers it. "But I was also right. I knew there was a chance he would run and he did."

"Fine, so you knew the likely outcome. Should have given you plenty of time to fix things before it got this out of hand. Now you're on the clock," she says like it's of grave importance. "Clint says SHIELD sent agents after him."

Tony shrugs. "Good. Maybe they can convince him to go with them for safe keeping."

"I'm not so sure about that," Natasha says evenly.

Tony feels his heart freeze up and he turns quickly to study her. "You would never say that," he says suspiciously. "So why did you say that? Unless…" He suddenly deduces her meaning and his eyebrows shoot up in alarm. "Unless you know something that makes even you uncomfortable," he says, pointing as he does. "What's going on here, Natasha?"

"I've been undercover in D.C.," she explains her recon absence and he immediately guesses it has something to do with the pressure from Congress. "Fury didn’t assign me. I went on my own." The revelation surprises him. "Clint and I decided we need to know what's on that petition."

"I've been trying to find out for weeks," Tony confesses. "I didn't like the idea of Fury keeping secrets about Bruce."

She hitches a shoulder. "Turns out this time you might have been right." That's not at all what Tony wants to hear, especially not from her of all people. "But you never would have gotten it from his server, trust me. That's why I went to D.C. myself to get answers. Here," she says and before he can blink she tosses him a flash drive.

He looks at it with dread and contempt both. "Thanks for this," he says honestly as he immediately begins the task of grabbing one of his many laptops and plugging in the flash drive.

"Yeah, well, I wish it was good news," she says as he pipes the laptop feed to a holographic screen in front of him.

He immediately opens the single file on the drive and he's face to face with the document he's been after. His eyes scan it quickly. "'This petition is for the immediate decommission of the military branch code named Hulkbusters,'" Tony mumbles aloud bits and pieces of it as he does. "Knew that already obviously. 'General Thaddeus Ross has caused more harm than good in his relentless and unethical pursuit of Dr. Robert Bruce Banner alias the Hulk. It is the petitioner's belief an audit of his operation will prove him unfit as a general and support the petitioner's suggestion of demotion.' Okay, still good. Betty mentioned that."

Tony scans it silently again before continuing aloud when something else important strikes him.

"'It is the petitioner's conviction that Dr. Banner is human and as such should be treated with the same human rights and held to the same reasonable accountability as others. It is the petitioner's conviction that both he and the Hulk will be assets to this country serving as SHIELD-monitored agents. The petitioner is also bringing it to the attention of Congress that Dr. Banner is in a long-term relationship with a national icon to be named at a later date. This icon is deeply influential and financially secure and it is the petitioner's conviction that separating the two would be viewed by the general public as unethical and lead to a potentially damaging smear campaign against the government.'" Tony pauses. "Wait, he was going to out us to Congress? That's… okay, well, the smear campaign isn't a bad idea," he reasons. It even gives him a slew of ideas to try and fight Ross and get Bruce back.

"It's coming," Natasha warns.

He just nods and continues to read silently. Suddenly he stops. His eyes widen and his mouth falls open in shock. His heart pounds as he rereads over the few damning terms of the petition several times.

"'The petitioner is aware that several concessions are being requested. The petitioner is also aware that millions of dollars were poured into the project that resulted in the transformation of Dr. Banner into the entity known as the Hulk and that there is some continued debate as to whether the Hulk is property of the U.S. Army or if that was forfeited by the unexpected merger of man and monstrous alter ego. Is it legal and/or ethical to treat a man as property because of an accident that occurred due to a project funded by the U.S. Army? It is the petitioner's suggested concession in return for the clemency of Dr. Banner and the Hulk as well as the decommission of the Hulkbusters that the U.S. Army be given two vials of Dr. Banner's irradiated blood to do with as it sees fit with the contingency General Ross not be given access to the blood or any future project related to it.'"

Tony's blood pulses in his ears and it's the only sound for what feels like an eternity as the weight of the petition settles in all around him, suffocating him. He swipes the screen away, not caring about anything else it might say, and turns slowly to look at Natasha.

"He can't be serious," he says in disbelief. "What kind of concession is that!?" He barks louder then as the weight of his falls like an anvil. "Bruce's blood is toxic! Like hell he would let Fury give any of it over to the army, Ross or no Ross."

"Which is why I can only assume Fury never meant for that specific detail to be made public," she replies. "SHIELD could probably find a way to access Bruce's blood and then while we were celebrating Bruce's clemency none the wiser he could make the under the table exchange. My guess is that sounds pretty favorable to the military compared to letting Ross continue on like a loose canon. No wonder he was nervous."

Tony growls. " _Of course_! I can't trust _anyone_!"

"You can trust me," she counters defensively. "I told you didn't I? You can trust your team, Tony," she says firmly. That snaps Tony back to attention and he looks at her. "But I don't know if you can trust SHIELD right now so if they get to Bruce there's a chance they're going to go straight for his blood."

Tony growls again and heads for the elevator. Natasha follows right on his heels. "That's why they're not going to get to him. Not them. Not Ross. I don't care if we have to relocate to Mars they're not getting him or his blood."

"Something still doesn't add up," Natasha mutters when they're in the elevator. "Fury _knows_ it's not safe. Why would he take that chance? Does he think it's a justifiable trade off to keep Bruce safe?"

"Or does he just have bigger stakes here like getting his hands on more Hulks?" Tony accuses bitterly. "Maybe Bruce is the justifiable trade off. Fury wasn't even going to warn me he was going to name drop me in the petition," he points out.

The elevator opens and he steps out quickly. "You have a point," she agrees without argument as she trails behind him. "I'll round up the team and—"

"And you'll go confront, Fury," he says, spinning to look at her. She blinks wide in surprise. "I don't have time to go chew the bastard out and go after Bruce. SHIELD has a head start and who knows if Ross does. But Bruce and I created a gamma tracker specially based on his signature so I'm banking on that being better than what they’ve got."

She sighs, clearly not liking the idea, but then nods. "Okay, but you should at least take Thor with you," she suggests.

He's about to respond to the suggestion when there's a distant bestial roar. Their eyes widen at the same time. Maybe SHIELD had already found him somewhere and attacked and Bruce figured it out on his own that something's not right. Maybe Hulk has come to warn them or protect them… at the very least hopefully not because he thinks they'd been part of the scheme. Or maybe Hulk had just decided running wasn't a good idea and didn't give Bruce a chance to argue. Whatever it is, he and Natasha share a hopeful glance at one another. 

"Hulk!?" Tony calls his name, knowing his ears are good enough to hear him. There's another roar, but rather than encouraging something sick settles in Tony's stomach that he can't explain. 

And he doesn't get the chance to even try when suddenly there's a blur of red and shattering glass and Natasha's frantic yelling in Russian.

Then it all goes black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This volume delivered the continuance of medical inaccuracies, 'good becomes better and bad becomes worse' taken to the cracky extreme when it comes to sex and true love or something idek *headdesk*, now with more Natasha, Tony is vulnerable and in love and this is a dangerous combination, a whole lot of not much but at the same time stuff that kind of has to happen to support the overall arc idk mostly boring probably, Bruce is on a magical journey of discovery and this fic will gloss over 98% of it and it mostly just won't make any sense, Steve is a mother hen, Betty is awesome and I actually do love her, adults trying to navigate past relationships maturely aka Tony is not good at this, Bruce is sad-mad, Hulk is on a magical journey of discovery and this fic will gloss over 99% of it and make you scratch your head, What Is Fury Up To Now?, AND MORE.


	3. Transformed

"Tony?" Pepper's voice rang out through the construction zone that was to be the best lab in the tower yet. Tony ignored her in favor of manipulating a holographic blueprint for another addition to the space. "I know you're in here," she continued and soon her heels were solid clacks against the floor amidst the other noise from workers.

"Hello, Pepper," he greeted without looking up. "Shouldn't you be somewhere running my company?" He gave her a teasing glance, but was met with a scowl. So he frowned and focused on his blueprint again.

"That's what I'm trying to do," she said evenly. "But the key part of that statement is it's _your company_. And as it's your company, _you_ need to be at today's press conference."

Tony furrowed his brow as he manipulated the floor plan. "That's this afternoon?"

"No, Tony, that's in twenty minutes," she said, crossing her arms.

"What?" Tony did look up at that. "Twenty… Seriously?" She nodded. "Okay, okay, wow. Yeah, sorry… I…" He sighed. "Guess I got carried away with my new idea." He smiled then, feeling a little giddy. "He's going to be so—" He stopped when he saw the way she shook her head and looked defeated. "What?"

"Tony, the world is rebuilding and the Board is worried about the negative image of Stark Tower being used as a portal to space." Pepper sighed and then gestured around at the space in progress. "Is _this_ really what's important right now? It's practically all you've been working on for the past two weeks."

"That's because I have to get it finished," he told her matter-of-factly. "It's actually really, really, _really_ important."

"Why?" she challenged.

"That's a ridiculous question. You know why."

There was a long pause. "Yes. I'm beginning to think I do. I… No, that's not true," she backtracked. "I've known from the start." 

"Huh. No wonder you're a great CEO. You talk in circles," he teased her again, wagging a finger at her as he put away the blueprint.

She didn't seem amused so he just shrugged and headed toward the elevator. She didn't immediately follow either. When he reached the elevator he stood inside looking at her strangely for a moment before she finally joined him. When the doors closed, it seemed to leave them choking on an air of uncertainty. At least that's how it felt to Tony.

Pepper finally breathed a small sigh. "Tony, do _you_ know why it's so important?"

"What?" He furrowed his brow. "Why would you ask that? Is this some weird hormonal thing?" If she hadn't seemed amused before, she seemed even less so now. He rolled his eyes and indulged her. "Of course I do, Pepper. There's the obvious fact that the damn guy deserves it. He's always deserved it and since nobody else on this fucking planet seems to get that, I'm more than willing to be the one to do it." She gave him a soft nod and he realized he'd yet again gotten angry where injustice against him was concerned. He sighed. "But, honestly, I just want to give the guy some place to stay. I don’t want him running off into the wild again or…" He shook his head. "I don't know, Pep. I just want him around," he admitted, not that it was anything secret. "So I'm going to give him whatever I can to make him…"

The door pinged open and he was talking to her over his shoulder when he crashed into another body. The momentum pushed the other back a few steps, taking Tony along for the ride, and when he focused he found himself with his hands braced on each of Bruce's arms near the elbow. The physicist looked just as dazed as Tony felt.

"Sorry, I was just…"

"…stay," Tony finished his previous statement belatedly, but somehow it felt right on time.

Bruce's eyebrows shot up in an endearing look of surprise. "Stay?"

Tony swallowed hard, a little unsure of how this moment had sort of happened, but then nodded twice. "Please."

"I…" Bruce closed his mouth and nodded twice as well. "Okay."

Tony had a flicker of longing to close the space between them, meet Bruce's lips with his own, when it was extinguished by the slight clearing of a throat.

"Press conference, Tony."

Tony blinked and looked over Bruce's right shoulder to see Pepper standing there, eyes soft and glistening slightly in what oddly looked like something that danced between understanding and resignation. Bruce chuckled in a low timber, a slight hint of nervousness in it, and backed away from where Tony had still been holding him in place. He then moved past Tony and hit the elevator button to open the doors again. Tony turned about face to watch him go.

"Have fun," Bruce said calmly enough. But then he ducked his head and looked up at him through his lashes. "I'll, um, see you later," he said and it sounded like a promise to Tony. A promise Tony didn't want to be broken.

"Oh," Tony said softly when the elevator had spirited Bruce away.

"Oh," Pepper repeated in a knowing tone.

***

Bruce sighs as he exits the small clinic he had decided to volunteer at for the day. Suddenly he doesn't feel so altruistic anymore. There had been so many sick and yet his mind had been unfocused. It hadn't been where it needed to be to help them. Honestly, he's not sure if he'll come back tomorrow because he feels like he's a sham, pretending to help people when really it had only been his way of trying to fix himself. He wants to help them, sure, but he'd only gone today because he wants to forget Manhattan and bright smiles and a firm body more. He wants to escape Tony, but he can't.

He begins the trek back to his tiny rented place and takes in the sights and sound of the village in the waning dusk. Once night falls the place will transform into an entirely different atmosphere, eclectic in ways afforded by the dark. He doesn't have to travel far, but he pauses when he's a meager three or four steps away from the first place available he'd found to live in.

He looks around, senses tingling.

_Tony find us?_

The thought rumbles in his head space as Hulk is alert enough in his conscious mind for him to hear. And alert enough for him to send back, "I hope not." _We're trying to protect him, remember?_ Hulk grumbles, but then goes quiet again. That said he's still lurking in that space somewhere between dormancy and pushing for control, probably just in case there should be danger.

The truth is Bruce hopes it _is_ Tony. And, of course, Hulk is well aware of that. It's not even been a week since he'd come to this new place and the idea of endless, long days stretching on without Tony makes him want to give up control. Bruce has known anger and sadness, but the thought of never having Tony again makes his heart feel like a stone. He doesn't know how he'll ever manage it if it doesn't end up being only temporary.

Then there's the irrational part of him. A part of him feels a little sore that Tony hadn't chased him down like he'd once dramatically declared he would if Bruce ever got the notion to run. It makes him wonder if it had all been an illusion. Maybe Tony realizes how foolish he'd been to make such brash statements. Or maybe it turns out Tony hadn't known how unforgivable that kind of knife in the back would feel like and now Tony hates him for the betrayal. Or maybe it's because it's reasonable, having only been less than a week since he left even if it already feels like months. Either way, Tony has yet to come.

It's not Tony now either. He knows it immediately when he cautiously moves into the building. Tony is such an intrinsic part of him now that he's pretty sure he'll always know when Tony is nearby. He really _can't_ escape him.

He can't escape SHIELD either apparently. Not that he'd assumed as much this time since that irrational, saboteur part of him wanted to be found.

"This seems familiar," he says to the redhead evenly. "Are you here to kill me this time?" he asks and Natasha gives a small quirk of her lips. Then it falls back into a straight line. And then that line folds into a frown.

"No. It wouldn't do us any good if I did. We need you to come in again, doc," she says, getting straight to the point. It's a business call and she's all business.

Bruce sighs. "What's so bad that you need a Hulk?"

For a very quick moment he entertains the thought of just letting them have his blood to create another Hulk or two just so he can finally go live his life without bother. Maybe if they didn't want him he and Tony could even be together… The thought is forgotten of course when he realizes his blood probably wouldn't be conducive to that. The whole damn thing is a crap shoot, whether it's his blood… or Steve's. He feels guilt stab at his heart for abandoning Tony at such a crux in his life. He's no better than anyone else who may have hurt him.

"You didn't even hear me did you?" Bruce blinks and realizes Natasha had said something. He shakes his head honestly. "I said, what makes you assume we need a Hulk?" He blinks again.

"Well, if you need a genius, you've already got one of those."

Her face slackens from neutral into something strange for a quick second, but before he can wonder about it, she says, "And apparently that genius needs the other one on this."

 _Oh._ A part of him thrills against the logic that had caused him to run in the first place. "If this is Tony's way of getting me to come back—"

"You need to come, Bruce," she says sharply, determinedly and closes the distance between them by a couple of steps. This isn't the same woman who'd very cautiously approached him eight or so months prior. He knows there's no gun hidden this time. Also, up close his rough medical knowledge tells him that she's been in a fight lately. He doesn't get a chance to ask. "Look, I know why you left. But... We need you."

There's something vulnerable and almost honest in her expression and tone. It doesn’t sound entirely honest – he thinks he's learned the difference in the month and a half of her being around all the time and their becoming something more like friends – but it sounds honest enough that he thinks this is her way of telling him without words that he needs to trust her.

He studies her uncertainly, but then slowly nods once. "Alright. I'll come."

He tries to tell himself that there's not a part of him that agrees because he wants to give Tony a chance to lure him back. Assuming Tony even wants to.

***

Tony knocked softly on the door of Pepper's office. She startled, head flying up from where she'd been studying something, eyes blinking several times as she looked at him like she didn't actually see him. Then clarity seemed to settle into them and a frown touched her face.

He sighed and stuffed his hands into his pockets as he moved into the room with less sureness than he usually did. There was solemnity in the air and contrary to popular belief Tony Stark knew when to respect it. He sometimes knew when to tiptoe even if there could be no tiptoeing around the matter at hand.

"Nice to see you again, Tony," Pepper said to him as he sat down in the chair across from hers. She set down the item she'd been studying, it looked like a business card of some sort, and then looked back at him.

He hadn't spoken with her or gone anywhere near her for three days because he'd just needed time to think. He'd needed time to process what had been brewing the past two weeks. "I've been busy," he explained. She looked at him with a neutral expression. "I… I've been busy thinking," he confessed.

"Good," she stated evenly. Then she arched one brow. "And is that all? You've just been thinking for three days straight?"

Tony closed his eyes and tightened his lips. It probably looked like a wince, a guilty wince. But he wasn't guilty of anything other than being an idiot. Well, not seriously guilty.

Sure there was that first morning when his inclination for sex had made him realize – okay and not for the first time – just how damn attractive Bruce was and entertain a few thoughts of how under different circumstances he'd certainly proposition the man in a heartbeat.

And sure the night after his initial realization Bruce had admitted he'd been on his way to talk to Tony about leaving – his 'stay' had been timely after all – which had been like a punch to his gut and led to his not wanting to let the other man out of his sight for the rest of the night, or ever again he'd thought as the realization sunk in deeper.

But the fact remained that he hadn't acted on anything and if he was guilty it was more of an unintentional emotional infidelity. Then again, intent was probably meaningless in these instances. He wasn't enough of an expert to know.

"I've also spent time with him," he finally said, opening his eyes. "But that's nothing unusual."

"No, it's not," she said, looking down at the card on her desk. She then gave a soft derisive sort of snort. "I think I knew from the minute you introduced us that I'd lost you too." Tony scrunched his face. She looked back up at him. "You need him. It was written all over your face. I don't know what it is about him that you need, but I'm not going to stand in your way of finding out."

The statement lingered between them for a moment, her essentially telling him that it's over between them. Of course, Tony knew that. He'd come to her office to suggest the same thing.

"There's a connection there, Pepper," he said, sharing his thoughts aloud for the first time to another human; JARVIS alone had listened to him try to work through his feelings the past few days. "I don't… I don't know where it'll lead, if it even should lead anywhere, but…" He shook his head and sighed. "I just know that it's there and every minute I spend with him it just seems to get stronger. And it's… It's not just friendly. I could pretend it is. I could try and make you and me work, Pep, but it wouldn't be fair to you. I'm interested in him on so many levels that I don't think I'd be able to stop myself if…" He bit the corner of his lip and shrugged. "I'm not that strong of a man," he admitted, not that she didn't know this already. "And, you know," he hesitated and she raised an eyebrow, "I even considered the whole asking you for an open relationship thing, but—"

She raised a hand to silence him and shook her head. "It wouldn't work. You don't love by halves, Tony."

"Who said anything about love?" Tony held up his hands quickly. Sure, there was a connection. There was interest. There was… _something_. But the L word was pushing it. He'd never thought of Pepper in that sense so how could it be possible with Bruce?

She rolled her eyes and when they stopped they were on the card again. Tony tried to crane his neck to read what it said. But she reached for it and tipped it towards her in study.

"He doesn't strike me as the non-exclusive type anyway." She still held the card, but met his gaze.

"That is assuming he wants to be in any kind of thing with me let alone an exclusive thing," Tony shared his concern.

He wasn't even sure he was going to say anything. He didn't want Bruce to freak out or run off. He needed Bruce, Pepper was right, but mostly he just needed him around. Just because he had more than friendly interest didn't mean he couldn't cling to their budding friendship if that's all there could be. He was only calling it quits with Pepper to ease his own conscience; he wouldn't fake something with her because he couldn't have what he wanted.

She knitted her brow. "Don't make my mistake, Tony," she said firmly.

"Uh…" Tony wasn't sure what to do with that. "Which mistake are we referring to?" He then backtracked. "Not that you make a lot of them. I mean, we both know your biggest mistake is putting up with me all these years in any capacity." She didn't seem amused. "What? Nothing? I'm ribbing myself freely which you know isn't something I do and not even a chuckle or eager nod. I'd be more hurt if we hadn't just broken up." Her response was to slide the card in his direction. He furrowed his brow and took it to look at it.

There on the simple, and quite aged, card were the words _Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division_ and Tony recognized it immediately. He looked up at Pepper in surprise.

"So that's why he was Phil," he said in understanding. His instinct hadn't been wrong.

She closed her eyes, but that didn't hide the dampness of her lashes. "I, uh… I guess as long as we're being honest." She cleared her throat and opened her eyes. "Phil and I became really good friends. We got drinks a lot. You know, when our schedules permitted."

"I didn't know," Tony said honestly.

"Because you would have made a big deal about it," Pepper said with a choked laugh. "Even _before_ we started dating," she added seriously. "It was a gradual thing, but I thought I was falling for him at the same time you and I were navigating whatever it was we had. I was confused. You and I had always been friends and I cared, well, still care about you deeply. And Phil was never around and he had something going on with a cellist at the time. It just didn't seem right or, well, maybe the word is practical. I was happy giving us a try and classifying what I had with Phil as friendship."

Tony looked down at the card and understood. That was her mistake. She'd played it safe. She'd let him charm her when deep down she had stronger feelings for someone else. Now Phil was gone and she was forced to live in regret. She was urging him not to take that risk. But it also made him feel a little like an asshole. He still had a hypothetical chance with Bruce and it seemed unfair.

He sighed and passed the card back to her. She reached for it and he intercepted her hand before she could. He squeezed it gently as she looked at him.

"He deserved you, Pepper. I'm sorry if I—"

"Don't blame yourself," she said in her typical earnest tone. "I don't."

"I'm still sorry," Tony insisted.

"I am too," she said with a sigh.

_Sir, Dr. Banner's lab is finished. The contractor is awaiting approval._

Pepper smiled softly. "I think that's our cue to call it a day, Tony," she said with an air of finality.

"Yeah, I guess so," Tony replied.

***

Clint isn't looking forward to this meeting. It isn't his aim or speed that worries him. It's that he has to take a shot at all, which is a likelihood, and that the Big Guy might not take too kindly to him in the future because of it. Still, he strategically places himself in a spot where he can take the shot when directed.

"Sometimes," Fury's voice breaks Clint's thoughts as he strides onto the deck of the Helicarrier, "plans go to shit in this business. Then other times they go so wrong that doesn't even begin to cover it."

"We're starting this meeting without Tony?" Banner immediately interrupts and looks around in confusion.

Clint looks at the physicist and then Natasha. Just past her he sees Wilson, who seems to be quickly inserting himself, and Rogers share a nervous glance. Thor sits on the other side of Bruce, another strategically chosen position.

"We are," Fury answers with a nod. He then turns his back and takes a few steps away from the conference table. "Several months ago I began Phase 2 of the Avengers Initiative. And step one was to slowly resolve issues the public and politicians may have with individuals possessing abilities that may be viewed as a threat. Of course, the biggest concern was with Dr. Banner."

"You introduced a petition to congress," Natasha says with surprising impatience. "But that's what got us into this mess, isn't it?"

Fury looks at her as if she's betrayed him, but then lets out an exasperated sigh. "Maybe it is. Part of the plan was to out Stark and Banner's involvement so that Congress knew just who it was dealing with if they didn't comply with our demands."

"What?" Banner straightens up and Clint tells himself: not yet. "You were going to tell the whole world that Tony is dating a monster? That's precisely the reason I've held off on letting Tony go public about us. It would ruin him."

"Bruce, you're not a monster," Rogers says firmly with a shake of his head.

"And it would take a hell lot more than that to ruin Tony," Natasha adds. "And we all know he'd take that chance for your sake."

"But I didn't want him to have to," Banner responds desperately. "But if it had to happen it should have been when he and I had come to that decision together. Not because of Fury's making a play out of it."

"You may want to calm down, Dr. Banner," Coulson says to him. "Because we've only begun to scratch the surface and we need you coherent for all of this." He then gives a small, apologetic expression. "No offense." Banner takes a few deep breaths and then nods.

"As I said, the pressure of a high profile defendant in Dr. Banner's corner was only part of the plan and it was more or less the final step in that process," Fury continues. "In order to get Congress and the army to play ball, real concessions had to be made first."

"A hell of a concession, Nick," Natasha says pointedly and Clint raises his eyebrows in surprise. For her to address him so intimately speaks volumes about her temper right now.

"The offer had to be steep in order to get them to rise to the bait," Fury replies calmly enough, but Clint can tell he's not happy with the tension between them. "The key word there being bait, Agent Romanov," he says and then pauses with a hard glare at her before letting that glare circle the table. "SHIELD was never actually going to give the army two vials of Dr. Banner's blood."

Banner jumps to his feet, gripping the table. "You offered them what?" Clint's hand goes to his bow and he sincerely hopes not yet.

"Two vials of your blood," Fury answers without even flinching. "With the caveat that Ross doesn't get his grubby hands on them."

"That's supposed to make me feel better?" Banner grips harder. Clint glances at Coulson, but he shakes his head.

"No," Fury responds, "the fact that I was never going to give them your blood is supposed to make you feel better."

"How?" Banner asks dubiously, but he lets go of the table and sits back down. "Any really good scientist with experience in microbiology would take a look at a normal vial of blood and realize it's not mine. You would have been called on your bluff and then what would _that_ have done for me and Tony?"

Fury snorts. "You think I'd give them _normal_ blood?" He then shakes his head. "This plan may have somehow gone to shit, but I wasn't born yesterday, Dr. Banner. They would have gotten blood that could convince them they'd gotten the real deal, but wouldn't have had any effect."

"So you were going to give them _my_ blood?" Rogers straightens up in his seat next and looks in disbelief at Fury.

Fury doesn't even dignify his question with an answer.

"That still would have been too dangerous," Coulson supplies instead. "Your blood has an effect on people when manipulated. We haven't even begun to unlock the potential it holds and the best, or in this case worst, part about it is it's not even toxic."

"Tony," Banner suddenly gasps his boyfriend's name and they all look at him, but Fury especially looks at him. Banner looks right back. "You were going to use _Tony's_ blood."

Clint's confused as hell so he decides to join the conversation finally. "Why would he use Tony's blood?"

"Because he's the reason SHIELD knows Steve's blood has a potential effect on other people. Howard experimented on his son when he was a little boy," Banner explains in a tone that suggests a lover's fury. Clint shares a disbelieving glance with Natasha and registers her unspoken 'so that must be what's been going on with Stark lately' in regards to his gaffs and triggers. "His DNA is mutated to a point that closely resembles mine and Steve's. It's made him incredibly healthy among other things."

"No wonder the palladium didn't kill him," Natasha mutters thoughtfully. "Didn't you say we were on a ticking clock and lucky he hadn't died yet?" She looks at Fury questioningly.

He doesn't respond beyond a glance, his very rare 'I'm caught here' glance that tells them both the answer is yes. Instead he glances sharply at Banner. "How do you know this Dr. Banner? That is a Level 10 secret and one that I've kept guarded for years."

"You're a Level 10 now, Coulson?" Clint can't help but interject. Like Fury before him, Coulson only glances at Clint in answer.

"Well, maybe Phil should have rethought allowing Tony's boyfriend process his blood work," Banner replies coolly. Coulson's eyes widen. "Any lab tech probably wouldn't have thought anything about it. But according to Tony I'm a genius, not to mention I have firsthand experience with this sort of thing, so I caught it."

"Damn it," Coulson mutters. "I'm sorry, sir. I didn't know—" Fury raises a hand and looks at Banner expectantly.

"I didn't know exactly what was going on at first mind you," Banner continues. "I more or less thought my having sex with Tony was the cause." He shrugs and there's a very awkward pause as they all process his meaning. "Of course Tony…" He looks down and shakes his head fondly. "Tony is too stubborn to let me think those kinds of things. So we started looking for alternative answers. Tony brought up the palladium. He hypothesized maybe it had damaged his DNA. On the contrary that led us to realize it was because of his preexisting mutation that the palladium didn't kill him." He glances at Natasha. "So you're right. That _is_ why." He glances back at Fury harshly.

"I didn't know the palladium would kill him," Fury says defensively. "I thought his DNA would continue to repair itself. I wouldn't have let it get that far—"

"But you did!" Banner growls and Clint tenses. "He could have died! And you would have known the whole damn time that you were leaving it up to chance with a crap shoot mutation!" Banner is on the edge of his seat. He isn't green, but it may not be far off. At the moment he looks and sounds like a man who's a little unhinged at having almost lost the love of his life. Fair enough, Clint thinks.

Still the tension in the room is rising quickly as the secrets come to light, but there's clearly more to the story that hasn't been told yet on all sides and it's important they all stay calm. They need to find Stark and now that Stark might not be so normal it may be all the more imperative they consider every possible angle. He can't take the shot yet so he tries to diffuse the situation in another way.

"So you and Tony found out the mutation was preexisting," Clint intervenes, "and I'm assuming proceeded to have sex." The whole room looks at him with various expressions, most all ranging in the realm of disbelief at his random statement. He shrugs nonchalantly. "What? It's a reasonable conclusion. If you found out you could still safely have sex with someone you care about wouldn't you then make the most of it?"

He looks at Banner and the guy smiles thinly, almost sadly. "He's right. Then we had sex." His expression goes distant. "Amazing, wonderful sex. It… was more than that really. We made love as cliché as that sounds." His face hardens then in contrast. "And I screwed everything up. He's not here because he doesn't even want to be in the same room with me does he?" He glances around at them.

"But something happened between your lovefest with Stark and your screwing things up," Fury clips neutrally before any of them can give in and confess. "You found out about Howard's efforts to make his son better and I want to know how."

"Don't you dare try to excuse Howard's actions," Banner suddenly clips back and the tension returns.

"Tony was very sick, Dr. Banner," Fury tries to make him see reason. "Rogers' blood made him healthy. Isn't that a good thing? Shouldn't you be happy?"

"I know that," Banner says with a shake of his head. "And Tony knows I'm grateful that it saved him from the palladium. Saved him for me," he adds in a sentimental tone. "But you say it like he was broken before."

"He—"

"He _wasn't_. He was a sick kid maybe, but he still would have been Tony and that's enough. It should have been enough for Howard. I don't love Tony because he's healthy. I love him because of who he is."

Fury looks slightly taken aback at his ploy not working and Rogers places a hand on Banner's shoulder. "Peggy still has my enlistment photo," he says of the aging woman. Banner smiles at him and then Rogers looks at Fury. "I asked her why once. She said it was because that scrawny kid from Brooklyn is the heart of Captain America and he's still in here somewhere."

"But you still let Erskine and Howard do a number on you," Fury counters their sentiment with impatience.

"But I damn well had a choice," Rogers counters fiercely and Clint blinks in surprise. "Howard was my friend and maybe his choice ended up being for our gain since the world needs Iron Man and we need Tony Stark, but he was just a kid."

"And there are saner methods of helping a child get healthy," Banner says with surprising calm. Clint wonders if Rogers' outburst satisfied his need for anger. Maybe it's a good thing when they fight for each other. "It's not as if Howard didn't have the means."

Fury sighs and turns his back. There's a long moment of silence before they see him shake his head. Clint knows it means they've forced his hand. He has to be as honest about the situation as possible. He can't sugarcoat it or spin it to look pretty because they aren't going to buy it.

"Whether you believe me or not, Howard did have good intentions when he started," he begins slowly. "The reason for what he did wouldn't have been in any of the files you found. You see, Howard long held the hypothesis that Steve Rogers' blood could be used to create cures, but after one vial of blood went missing Howard held onto the other, not wanting to waste it. Then, shortly after his fourth birthday, Stark… Tony concocted meningitis. The doctors said he'd probably lose his ability to walk if he survived at all."

"It was that bad?" Banner whispers the question.

"It was," Fury confirms. "And Howard was worried. He didn't feel he had a choice. In his private journal he wrote maybe that was why Steve gave him the blood. It was a gift and he finally had a reason to use it. So, he did what he felt he had to do. He wasn't trying to recreate the serum, because Howard believed when mixed with a few other foundational properties of Erskine's original formula, based on what we did have notes of, Rogers' blood would already have all of the other properties needed."

"He wasn't entirely wrong from what Tony's told me," Cap says with a sigh. "He told me that it made him healthier and also gave him some of the side effects of the serum."

"That's where things took a turn," Fury states. "Howard saw his hypothesis held some merit and his need to find out more took over. It blinded him and, yes, Tony became a guinea pig. Howard didn't think there was any harm in seeing it through to the end. He didn't think he was harming Tony in any way."

"He was wrong," Banner bites out and Fury sighs.

"Yes. He was wrong." Fury turns back to them finally. "He forgot that Tony was just a boy and he didn't want to accept that the effects of Rogers' blood was limited by the science of his time. There was simply no way of creating another super soldier or using Tony's blood as a stand-in for Steve's after it was used up. Tony's blood, as far as we can tell from Howard's notes, has no significant ability to mutate for good or bad. And it can't be used to backwards engineer the super soldier serum. When Howard realized this he was snapped back to reality. He put an immediate end to the experiments and tried desperately to forget what he'd done. It doesn't erase what he did, but the guilt ate at him for years. He couldn't so much as look at Tony without remembering how he'd pushed further than was necessary, lost sight of his original intent." Fury hangs his head and shakes it. "Howard may have saved his son, but he lost him too."

There's silence again and the attention in the room naturally gravitates toward Banner. Clint thinks he looks more broken and sad for his lover than angry. That’s hopefully a plus since they haven't even reached the crux reason for their meeting yet.

"Was Tony okay when you told him all of this?" Banner asks with closed eyes.

"I haven't told him," Fury answers and the eyes open with a flash of green. So much for Clint's hopefulness.

"Why not?" Banner demands. "He deserves to know the extent of why his father did what he did. I-I… I can't believe this. _This_ has haunted him. You can't even begin to know." He shakes his head unevenly. "He deserves to know so he can stop asking questions. He has so many questions and you've had the answers this whole time."

"You're operating on the premise that Stark was ever supposed to know at all," Fury says coldly. "When it became clear that he had repressed the memories, Howard decided to keep it that way. Eventually he came to me with everything: the notes, the videos, the private journal. He wanted them somewhere Tony would never have to find out even after he died. I agreed it was for the best. I took everything for safekeeping. I've only ever shared the story with Agent Coulson as I deemed it necessary if he was going to be my one good eye in this Initiative." Fury stares Banner down. "So we're back to the question of how _you_ know, Dr. Banner."

Banner leans forward in his seat again. "I know because JARVIS found the Level 10 file in SHIELD's system. He noted that it pertained to Tony so he took the liberty of decrypting it. I had an incident thanks to your little secret by the way. Thanks for that," he says sardonically. "I shared it with Tony and suddenly it made sense to him. He's been terrified of hospitals and doctors and needles for years," Banner states bitterly. "The memories may have been repressed, but they were still there."

"And look what finding out did to him," Fury counters tightly. "You proved why it needed to be kept secret."

"No, no," Banner stands to his feet, "I proved that it never should have been withheld from him in the first place. He should have been empowered with that knowledge long before I came along. And you don't know he wouldn't have found out on his own without me. JARVIS is the one who decrypted it, remember? Wanting to find a way to hack a Level 10 petition or any other files that might pertain to me was just a catalyst. But we all know Tony doesn't need a reason to—"

"Sir," Coulson interrupts frantically and they all look at him. Well, Clint keeps his eyes on Banner because now seems to be the tipping point. "Sir, I think we have a bigger problem here."

"You don't say?" Fury retorts.

"No, I mean, wasn't that file on your personal server? We always knew it was a matter of time before Stark found out how to decrypt the Level 10 files. We took that chance when we let him stay in the system. But—"

"That file wasn’t on Fury's personal server," Banner counters and Fury turns his head sharply to look at him. "Tony hasn't figured that out yet. Only how to decrypt Level 10 files on the main server." He looks back and forth between Fury and Coulson uncertainly.

" _Sonofabitch!_ " Fury shouts and Clint looks at Natasha to see the same worry flash across her face. "Hill!"

"Already on it, sir," she says from the command station where she'd been. She begins barking orders to the crew and puts the Helicarrier on lock down before sending out an alert to all of SHIELD.

"We have to assume we've been compromised," Coulson says as evenly as he can. "Somebody inside had to go looking for that file and either they got careless and left it on the main server or they put it there on purpose."

"Sir," Hill says coming over then, "with Stark's abduction this can't be a coincidence."

Clint watches as Banner looks around like his world is falling apart, eyes darting to and fro and realization dawning in them. Then they snap wide open, flooded with green.

"Where's Tony?" He rushes around the table and head on towards Fury. Thor and Steve immediately rush after him.

Clint readies his bow and beside him Natasha does her best not to flinch. She may like Dr. Banner now, but this is the first threat of seeing the Hulk again up close and the setting is all too familiar. Clint knows a thing or two about triggers and PTSD and he's also the one who'd been there to help her through the belated trauma once the adrenaline of battle wore off.

"Dr. Banner, you need to remain calm," Fury says raising his hands.

"I will remain calm," Banner growls unconvincingly. "Just as soon as you tell me where Tony is."

"Tony has been taken," Fury answers, keeping his voice pitched low and even. "So we need _you_ to help us find him." Instead of lunging for the Director Banner falters back like he's already been stunned with one of the tranquilizers loaded in Clint's bow.

" _Tony_ ," he gasps Stark's name desperately, sounding entirely like himself. He shakes his head. "No, no, this… NO!" He growls again, and it's almost mesmerizing to see him fight for control like this. Natasha had tried to describe it to him, but it pales in comparison to seeing it for himself.

"Agent Barton," Coulson directs him and Banner immediately snaps his attention toward him, looking a strange mix between a wild animal and a wounded one as his muscles start to bulge.

Clint isn't sure why, but something about the scenario doesn't feel right. They're supposed to be a team. That's the point of all of this. And he'd promised Star—Tony that he'd have his back. Something tells him Tony wouldn't want him to shoot Bann—Bruce.

"Clint?" Natasha breaks through his muddled thoughts, reading him in her easy way. She's asking him what he's up to.

"Bruce," Clint makes a call, "this is up to you." Bruce's brow furrows. " _You_ say to shoot, I shoot."

"Barton, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Fury yells.

"I'm trusting my teammate, sir," Clint answers smoothly. "Like Tony would want me to."

That seems to get Bruce's attention and he finally reacts with a small nod of his head. "Tony…" He closes his eyes. "Tony needs us, Hulk. He's in danger—" It's cut off by a growl and his muscles bulge more as his skin starts to turn green. "No! Please," he begs. "Listen to me. Tony needs _us._ _Both_ of us. But right now he needs me. Let me find him. You have to trust me." There's a long moment of silence save for Bruce's labored breathing and groans. "I know… _I know_ ," he growls. "It's my fault. I _am_ stupid. So, so stupid. I shouldn't have left. We didn't protect him. You were right, Hulk. You were right. But I have to try and make this right now. _Please let me_."

Clint lowers his bow completely as he watches in awe as Bruce opens his eyes, brown again, and slowly transforms back down. His clothes are shredded and he falls to the ground like he's spent, still panting hard, but he's one hundred percent himself. It seems Tony hasn't only been biased by his feelings for Bruce after all where his trust in Hulk is concerned.

"We're going to find him, Doc," Clint says matter-of-factly.

***

Tony felt his heart beat in his chest as the elevator moved to its destination. He had put off this moment for a couple days because nervousness had settled in amidst his overwhelming excitement. But finally he couldn't stand the anticipation any longer and decided to just let the excitement fuel him into ripping off the bandage.

He looked over at Bruce to make sure his eyes were still closed and saw that his expression was somewhere between tentative and amused. Tony stared maybe a little longer than he should.

"No peeking," he reminded him, bringing his own thoughts back to the present.

"You know, maybe I took it for granted that this should be obvious, but I don't exactly like surprises," Bruce said, his lips quirking up slightly. He then turned his closed eyes in Tony's direction. "Also I'm not sure how I feel about being blind in an elevator with only you."

Tony chuckled. "What's the matter, Doctor? Afraid I'll do something," he leaned in closer for effect, "untoward?"

Bruce's eyes snapped open. They were round and a shade of brown that felt like it could see straight down into your soul. They seemed to be studying Tony's eyes curiously.

"Can you actually blame a guy if he says yes?" Bruce finally asked in a dry tone.

"Not at all." Tony smiled. "By the way, you're peeking."

"I've seen the elevator before," Bruce said in response to that, but closed his eyes and moved his head straight forward again just the same. Not a moment too soon either as the elevator came to a stop and the doors opened.

"We're here."

Tony swallowed his remaining nerves and grabbed Bruce's arm just above his elbow, leading him out of the elevator and toward the entrance of the new lab. He stopped just outside the door that required biometric scan to get in; it would be up to Bruce who he let JARVIS store biometric access details for, although Tony was fairly certain at this point it would only be him who was given access as well.

Tony guided Bruce's hand toward the scanner earning a chuckle and, "What are you doing?"

"Hold your hand still," Tony instructed after positioning Bruce's hand and letting go. "JARVIS, activate initial biometric scan," he then said. And with a smile, "You can open your eyes now, Bruce."

He watched Bruce open his eyes slowly, immediately taking in the way his hand was encapsulated by a blue holographic sphere that made a read of his hand from every angle. His eyes then looked ahead through the glass door in dumbstruck manner.

_Biometrics stored for future access. Welcome to your lab, Dr. Banner._

The door slid open with a hermetic hiss – Tony was glad he'd insisted on it for effect because he could immediately tell Bruce appreciated it as much as he did by the small smile that touched his lips before the dumbstruck look returned. He looked at Tony like he wasn't sure if he was allowed to go in. Tony smiled and raised one eyebrow until he seemed to get the hint. Nevertheless, he still ventured into the room very slowly like he was walking into some terrible labyrinth that he might not escape.

Tony remained a few paces behind and watched with glee, nerves forgotten at least for the time being, as Bruce took in the sight of the brand new, state-of-the-art lab specially designed for all of the physicist's areas of expertise. He turned this way and that and his eyes darted from one thing to another.

" _My l_ ab?" It was a disbelieving whisper and Bruce finally turned to meet Tony's gaze, though not without his eyes still darting here and there as if unable to stop. He looked confused and awed and damn beautiful as he stood there in the space made for him.

"All yours," Tony answered and took a few steps forward, closing the space between them.

"Why?" Bruce asked naturally. "How… How much?" That was another question Tony had expected. "You… you shouldn’t have," he then said as he glanced around again like it was all too much and he was far too unworthy.

"1. I should have. Definitely should have," Tony started. "2. The how much is inconsequential. I look at things in terms of value, not cost. This lab seemed like a valuable asset to have." He paused and then smiled as he reached out both of his hands and placed them on Bruce's shoulders. "3. Because Dr. Bruce Banner deserves the best lab money can buy. A lab worthy of his genius in a safe place. And because, frankly, I just wanted to give you something because I think you're amazing and grandiose gestures are sort of my mod—"

Tony's eyes widened in shock as Bruce's lips crashed against his own. His heart hammered in his chest and he almost couldn't believe it was happening until suddenly it wasn't anymore.

"Oh my god," Bruce gasped as he pulled away and fell back several feet. He looked at Tony with round, terrified eyes. "I'm so sorry. I don't know… I didn't… I just—"

Tony's brain was quick to react and as Bruce sputtered and fumbled his apologies for acting on instinct – and score one for strutting, Tony thought – he closed the gap between them again and cut him off by recapturing Bruce's lips. He felt Bruce tense for half a second before melting into his embrace and kissing back. But still the tip-toeing man that he was, Bruce pulled back again and looked at him startled.

"Tony, what… What are you doing? You don't…"

"I do," Tony said and it seemed to be enough because they surged forward at the same time to resume exploring this new territory.

Tony didn't quite understand it, but he seemed to feel a million things at once. He felt the butterflies he hadn't felt since his first kiss, before he turned into some insatiable beast, and he felt a surge of lust stronger than he could ever recall. He felt chemistry and sparks and that connection he couldn't explain and every other cliché in the book as their lips seemed fused together and unwilling to part.

And the urges he'd first felt on the Helicarrier, the urges to _protect_ and _keep_ , seemed to grow tenfold. Bruce Banner was special and a little voice in Tony's head whispered that he had no idea. And maybe it should have scared him, but it only made him think it was his purpose in life to find out just how special.

"Tony, no, we can't," Bruce suddenly cried, pulling away a third time and leaving Tony dizzy and confused, previous thoughts scattering. "I… I'm sorry, but we can't."

"Why?" Tony asked dumbly. "We seemed to be doing okay enough. More than okay."

"That's… That's just it. I _can't_."

Tony ran through a list of possible meanings and kept coming back to one. "The heart rate thing?" His file had mentioned he'd tried to create something to slow his heart rate in order to subdue the Hulk. Hypothetically speaking, the heart rate generally spiked during periods of excitement. Tony knew his own heart was hammering at the moment.

Bruce slid his thumb along his wet, swollen lips and then looked at it thoughtfully; Tony tracked the movement. "It's not the heart rate. I've got that under control unless it's combined with something threatening. It's…" He dropped his thumb and looked at him. "I'm toxic, Tony."

Tony blinked. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about my blood," Bruce said through gritted teeth. "It's dangerous."

Tony considered that for a long moment before widening his eyes. "Are you saying you think it's not _just_ your blood?" Bruce's frustration turned into a fluster as he looked away and nodded gently. "Is this just a hypothesis? Or did you try—"

"Of course I didn't try," Bruce responded in alarm. "And I'm not going to."

"Then how will you ever know?" Tony countered.

"Please don't tell me you're offering yourself as a human guinea pig because I will walk out that door right now," Bruce warned with a simmer of heat in his words.

Tony shook his head and moved into his space. "Relax, Bruce. I wouldn't do that. Not because I'm not willing and fairly confident your hypothesis is incorrect, but because that would make you feel uncomfortable. And that's the last thing I want."

"Are you sure you know what you want?" Bruce questioned.

"I want you," Tony answered easily. "And now I'm thinking you want me too."

Bruce furrowed his brow. "You can't want me, Tony. And I can't want you. It's illogical and it's impossible."

"Hmm," Tony hummed thoughtfully. "JARVIS, begin a project file for Dr. Banner. Hypothesis: Irradiated blood has led to toxicity in saliva and semen."

"Tony…"

"I gave you this lab, so why not use it to find out, huh? It's a controlled and safe environment and don't you want to know for sure?" Tony saw him bite his lip uncertainly, but he could tell the answer was yes. "Look, no strings here. You find out you're good to go and want to celebrate with someone else, I get it. But at least do yourself a favor and find out. I'll help you gather the samples if you'd like," he added with a leer for good measure.

Bruce huffed in slight exasperation. "You're an idiot if you think I'd want to celebrate that sort of thing with someone else," he said with a shake of his head. Tony preened. "I just don't know why you'd be interested."

"Have dinner with me," Tony blurted.

"What?"

"Have dinner with me," he repeated, "and we can discuss just how interested I've been the past couple of weeks. In more ways than you might think."

"You… wait…" Bruce seemed more confused now. "This isn't just… You don't just want a casual fuck?" He studied him.

"I didn't break up with Pepper for a casual fuck, no," Tony admitted in spite of the resurfaced nerves. "I broke up with her because I think you and I have something… well, something. And I really want to find out what it is. Why, do _you_ only want a casual fuck?" If he were being honest, he hadn't considered that possibility. Maybe Bruce didn't want to get attached. He was a flight risk after all.

"I—" Bruce squeaked in surprise. He seemed momentarily at a loss. "I don't want that, no," he finally said in a very slow and deliberate way, voice a somewhat hoarse whisper. "But I don't know if it's a good idea. This," he gestures to the lab, "wasn't a good idea. Just because I promised to stay longer doesn't mean I should fool myself into thinking I can try to be normal again."

"But you do want to try," Tony hazarded an over confident guess, "with me."

Bruce closed his eyes and hung his head. "Please don't make me say yes."

Tony pitied him and tried to hide his own disappointment. "Wouldn't dream of it, Bruce," he said and decided not to pester him further. Maybe if he pestered he would leave. Maybe if he didn't, he'd still stay. And that was still the most important thing. "But in case you ever do want a casual fuck, with me or anyone else," he added, "the lab is all yours to find out if you can. I hope you like it."

"It's perfect," Bruce said reverently. "You're perfect."

"That's probably just the crush talking," Tony teased as casually as possible, and ignored the tightening in his chest. "Have fun, Bruce." He decided to show himself out.

"Tony, wait." Tony stopped immediately. "Uh… Dinner?"

A smile spread across his face and he turned back to see Bruce looking at him like he still wasn't sure it was a good idea, but a tentative and relenting expression just the same. Tony could work with that. He might need to swallow his pride and ask Pepper for dating advice, but he could work with that.

***

Natasha takes a deep breath and finds Bruce in one of the calmer moments since it had come to light that something or somebody has infiltrated SHIELD and since he'd been ushered away to regroup until Fury can get to the bottom of things. Bruce of course had protested, but Fury knows what he's doing in this case – even if she has to admit her trust has been more than a little shaken. If they can't figure out who's behind the issue it could further compromise their mission.

Now that she's been cleared as a potential traitor – although with harsh reprimand for her stunt with Congress – she decides Bruce could probably use that ear she'd offered. After having been there firsthand when Tony was taken, she's even willing to offer him a shoulder if he needs it.

"So you finally revealed your secret, Doctor," she says as casually as she can manage as she enters the lab where he looks both like he's in a private sanctuary and in a private hell. He looks up at her from the computer he's working on, doing she can only guess what. "You talk to the Big Guy? That's how you stay calm?"

He hazards a very small smile that lasts for a few seconds and then turns into a pursed expression. He tilts his head in nugatory fashion. "Not exactly."

"We all saw you," she points out as she approaches.

"It's…" He hesitates, like he's trying to decide if he trusts her. "It's a bit of a new discovery," he shares, having made his decision apparently. He fiddles with one of the lenses of his glasses as he manipulates something on the screen and then types in a string of code. "The details are still a little fuzzy, but, yes, it seems I can talk to him now. And I can hear him. Not always and it's not a guarantee that he won't, well, take control. But it's better than before," he finishes with a shrug.

"Better? I imagine I'd rather _not_ have a voice in my head," Natasha quips flippantly and he snorts.

"Well, it's been a hell of a learning curve anyways. Ton—" He stops his movement and hangs his head as a pained expression flitters across it. "He was the only one who knew. He… He was going to support me anyway he could in figuring it out if I wanted. He..." He closes his eyes and shakes his head. "I need him, Natasha. Why did I think I didn't? Why didn't I just give him a chance? Now he's gone."

Natasha sighs. "I can't answer those questions, Bruce. But I have a pretty good hunch that you probably walked away because you thought it was the right thing to do for him."

"I was scared," Bruce counters, opening his eyes. "Scared and angry. He lied to me."

"And he was wrong," Natasha offers. "But we all did," she points out. "We're all a little screwed up here, Bruce. He was just trying to protect you the only way he knows how." She waits for him to make the connection and knows he does when he looks away in a guilty fashion. "But unlike you he doesn't go in for the self-denial thing. He doesn't walk away to protect people. He just goes in and smashes. The irony is a little poetic if you think about it."

Bruce looks at her again. "I walked away and look where it got me. It's like… It's…" He groans in frustration. "I can't stay because people get hurt. I can't run because people get hurt. I can't do anything."

"I don't think you believe that any more than Tony does," she says matter-of-factly and he startles. "I just think this was a learning curve for both of you. And for you it scares you to think you don't have to settle anymore." He furrows his brow. "I'm preaching to the choir, in case you were wondering," she continues in a somewhat derisive tone. "People like us only see the red in the ledger. You told yourself what you found with Tony couldn't last, am I right?"

"You're a good enough spy," Bruce answers sadly. "I don't think I have to answer that question."

Natasha moves to look out the window of the lab. She hesitates for a small moment before deciding she can lay her chips down when it comes to Bruce.

"Coulson told me once that just because I have enemies it doesn't mean the whole world is out to get me. The people who trained me? Turned me into what I used to be… They wanted me to see the whole world that way. They wanted me to live with the truth that I have a target on my back and the only way to stay alive is to kill them before they can kill me." She sighs and turns back to see him studying her in a way that tells her he's listening intently. "I'm not saying I don't still feel that way sometimes. I still wonder who I am or if I'm just playing another role that'll eventually have to be traded in for a different one. It doesn't ever really go away. But it turns out it's not so bad when you have someone else in your corner who's willing to make a different call. So, yeah, you need Tony. Honestly, we all do. Just like we need you. And the Hulk, if he's listening," she adds with a small smirk.

"You think I should have stayed," Bruce says in comprehension.

"I won't lie. I do." There's a pregnant pause. "And I'm sorry."

He scrunches his face. "For what?"

"I was there. When Tony was taken." His eyes widen. "I wish I could have been strong enough, but… No more lies. You have a right to know what we're dealing with before Fury deems it the right time to let you in on it."

"Yeah, well," Bruce returns to his work on the computer, "I've been trying to access JARVIS' security footage for that very reason. I'm tired of trying to do the math without all the variables."

Natasha takes a deep breath. "There's another Hulk."

Bruce looks at her quickly, disbelievingly, and he slowly removes his glasses. "What do you mean there's another Hulk?"

"It was red," Natasha says in a clipped, professional tone. She stubbornly buries the feeling of terror that had overtaken her at the sight of the other beast. Had she been capable of stopping it she wonders if she would have had the nerve. Her instincts had been torn between saving Tony and running for her own life. "It looked a lot like the Other Guy only…" She considers how to put it. "Only worse."

"Oh my god," Bruce falters back and starts pacing before he stops in front of the window. "Oh my god. There's… There's another one? And it has Tony?"

"We don't know it still does," Natasha offers, but she knows it's a weak argument.

"But if it does," Bruce turns and looks at her with an epiphanic expression, "then I might be able to find Tony." He rushes back to the computer. "I just need to search for my signature."

Natasha isn't quite sure she understands what he means, but it's clear he does. It's clear he has a plan and hope. If anyone can find Tony it's Bruce, something she'd been sure of from the moment she went to bring him in regardless of worries he might just lose control and do more harm than good.

"It's like I said, Doc. We needed a genius."

***

"Oh go— Ahh. T-Tony, please…" Bruce's breathless appeals filled his ears as Tony continued his assault, the bots chirping in curiosity somewhere behind them. "Mercy! You… You can have it," he relented between peals of laughter that Tony couldn't get enough of.

He very reluctantly pulled his hands away, sitting back just a little where he straddled Bruce's waist on the lab couch. He looked down at his boyfriend with a mixed feeling of triumph and loss.

"Honestly," he said with a wide, no doubt goofy, grin as Bruce continued to catch his breath, "I stopped wanting the last bear claw about five minutes ago. I just seriously love hearing you laugh like that." Bruce looked up at him perfectly scandalized in the way only he possibly could. "I mean," Tony smoothed his hands along Bruce's bare forearms, "for skin that can survive a Hulk, who would have thought you'd be so ticklish?" He smirked deviously and poked at a particularly sensitive spot he'd catalogued that caused Bruce to squirm again.

When Tony pulled his hand away again, Bruce set him with a look of mock horror. "You're not just a genius," he said with a groan. "You're an evil genius."

Feeling more than a little on the playful side this morning, granted nearly half a dozen donuts and three cups of coffee might have been partly to blame, Tony placed his hands on Bruce's chest and leaned forward in the most ridiculous parody of seduction he could manage. "Dirty talk before noon, Dr. Banner? What kind of guy do you take me for, hmm?"

Bruce rolled his eyes. "The kind of guy who finds being called an evil genius a turn-on," he said with a snort. "If anyone should be a little worried here, it's me."

Tony gave a short, thoughtful hum and then tilted his head back so he could look at him in a more studious way. "I seem to recall you enjoying my evil genius quite thoroughly about seven hours ago," he said and then leered at him.

"I… I was sleep deprived," Bruce said it like it was an earnest plea of insanity. "I've been in the lab for hours. Days even. I wasn't in my right mind."

Tony smirked and leaned further over so that his lips were nearly touching Bruce's. "What about now?"

"Debatable," Bruce replied dryly. "You may have tickled me senseless."

"Good," Tony stated before closing the gap and kissing Bruce as deeply as possible. Much to his delight, Bruce reached up and wove one hand into his hair in order to deepen the kiss even further. And if that wasn't enough, he gave a quiet moan earning a moan from Tony in return.

 _Sirs, I'm very sorry to interrupt_ , JARVIS intoned, but Tony kept kissing Bruce in an effort to tune the AI out. _It is very urgent, sir._

Tony pulled away with a sigh and Bruce gave a huff of chuckle as they moved to upright positions. "I don't believe you, J," Tony quipped as he watched Bruce stand and cross over to the box of donuts. With a very small, almost devious flash of a grin toward him Bruce took the last bear claw for himself just the same. Tony raised an eyebrow. "Just because dad's got a new boyfriend doesn't mean you have to be jealous, JARVIS," he continued to tease the AI as Bruce teased him with a very slow savoring of the donut they'd been 'fighting' over previously. It was delectable enough to watch as it was, but Tony couldn't help but ponder briefly if Bruce would be so lewd – or maybe he'd be lewder – if it had been something like a cinnamon twist instead.

_Sir, this does not pertain to your relationship with Dr. Banner which, as far as I am capable of doing, I support._

"Thank you, JARVIS," Bruce said as he finished half of the donut and then to Tony's surprise brought the other half over to him. Tony contemplated it for about half a second before smiling cheekily and opening his mouth wide. Bruce brought his free hand to his face and shook his head minutely.

_Sir, I have come across several files pertaining to Phil Coulson. They seem to indicate he is still alive._

Tony immediately closed his mouth and Bruce's hand fell. They looked at each other in disbelief and then in sync headed for the nearest work station. "Show me," Tony said as he expanded one of the holoscreens to accommodate both of them. He also took the other half of the bear claw and took a bite as he waited for JARVIS to pull up the files.

"Oh my god," Bruce said beside him and Tony swallowed the bite down hard. Sure enough, there was no denying it. Multiple files spoke of his being revived, a fact to remain classified until further notice. But the icing on the cake was the small live feed of the man himself in a non-descript hospital room. "He's really alive."

"I'm sorry, Nick," Tony said as he set down the last of the donut and expanded one of the files, " _what_ were you lying?"

"We have to tell Pepper," Bruce said, startling him a little. Sure, he was going to suggest the same thing, but he was a little surprised to hear it come out of Bruce's mouth instead. He looked at him questioningly. Bruce gave a small cough. "We, uh, had a heart to heart," he said. "She mentioned it."

"Okay," Tony said and looked back at the screen. He'd let that go, for now at least. Right now they were dealing with a much bigger issue than his ex and new lover having a heart to heart.

Phil Coulson was alive. The file indicated he was in a coma and had been through numerous surgeries and, he shivered and gritted his teeth, classified procedures, but his body was on the mend. Pepper might not have lost her chance after all. But, most importantly, Fury was keeping this from them. On purpose, clearly.

It was a reminder secrets, lies, and everything in between was a code of ethics Fury held himself to highly. And if he was hiding this, what else might he be hiding? Could he really be trusted? Was Bruce really safe with SHIELD breathing down their necks? He wasn't sure, but he would most certainly keep a close eye on them just in case.

But first, they really had to tell Pepper.

***

Bruce pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs. The gamma trace is moving too slow. The satellite search is moving too slow. Everything is moving too slow. And every minute that ticks by is a moment that Tony is at the mercy of General Ross' hands.

Bruce has no doubt it's General Ross' doing. Betty had tried to warn them he was going to make a play. And even if she hadn't, he's the only one crazy enough to create a new Hulk just like he'd been crazy enough to create an Abomination. It's the only thing that makes sense. They had played back Tony's meeting with Betty for any further information and had learned that Betty had told the engineer about AIM's foray into cellular work. They'd come to the conclusion Ross had been working with Killian to create a new Hulk.

Now that he has one it's all about revenge, Bruce decides. Why else would Ross go straight for Tony? He means to hurt Bruce where he's most vulnerable. The only comfort, and it isn't much, Bruce has is knowing Ross is a maniac who won't finish Tony off until he can do so in a way that will bring Bruce the most pain. That means he won't likely do anything until Bruce is there to watch.

His hand comes down with a hard slam on the work station. He can't, _won't_ let that happen. He'll do anything to save Tony. He's willing to give himself up as a trade to the man, which Fury is working on making happen, in the hopes Ross would rather have him for endless torture than run the risk of destroying Tony just for one moment of satisfaction. He bangs the work station again at the thought.

"It isn't your fault, Bruce." Steve comes into the lab at that moment.

It's precisely the wrong moment and Bruce feels all of his controlled anger surge as he looks up with vehemence. It's the more dangerous kind of anger because he could probably use it against Steve without ever transforming.

"No, it's not," he says through gritted teeth and Steve reacts by stopping in place. He doesn't retreat though. "It's yours. It's your fault. You trusted Howard in the first place. You just had to become a super soldier. You’re the reason for all of this. Tony and I should have had normal lives. We should have had normal boring lives. We should have had the right to die if that's what was in store for us," he says bitterly, irrationally. Even as he spits his vitriol he knows what it would mean for him and Tony and now more than ever he can't imagine life without the other man. Still their lives are messed up and maybe it would be for the best if none of this had ever happened.

"You're right," Steve replies in a broken tone. He doesn't try to tell him to calm down. He doesn't tell him he's just upset right now. He just scrunches his face and looks down guiltily, like he's considered this all before. "You're absolutely right," he says again, still not looking up. "I might not have had the best life, but it was mine. And I didn't have to worry about waking up in a world that doesn't make sense or hurting people inadvertently." He sighs and then looks up. "I'm sorry. Tony told me to find the positive. I have, but it doesn't make the guilt go away. Not really."

Bruce doesn't know what to do with that and he's so stunned that he doesn't even register Sam is there too, or has joined them, until he speaks, inserting himself into the conversation.

"It's not his fault, Dr. Banner," Sam defends. "Don't blame him. Blame me." Bruce tilts his head slightly to look at him. "I just came from the bridge. Fury knows at least one of the main perpetrators now. Dr. Maya Hansen," he says and Bruce's eyes widen. "So if anyone here is to blame for putting Stark in danger, it's me. She wouldn't have been there if not for me."

Bruce tunes out the small bit of protest from Steve that follows as he turns his back to them. His own mind is considering the situation. She must have been the one to orchestrate the attack on the tower. But what was her aim? Betty had said General Ross had talked to Killian a few days prior to the attack. Was it a first failed attempt to take Tony? Or… Bruce's eyes widened. Or maybe Tony's blood?

He turns and rushes out of the lab and back toward the bridge. "Do you already have two vials of blood?" he asks without preamble. Fury turns and looks at him wearily. "Tony's blood? Do you have two vials already to give to the military?"

"No," Fury answers much to Bruce's dread. "And this may surprise you, Dr. Banner, but had I known you both knew the truth, I would have asked nicely."

"Not the point right now," Bruce clips, waving him off. "After the second AIM attack on Stark Tower, when Tony and the others were taken to SHIELD, Tony was injected with something."

"If it was routine procedure by a med—" Fury stops. He then turns. "Somebody get me those records now," he orders.

Within a minute, although it feels like an eternity to Bruce because everything does right now, one of the nearby SHIELD agents responds with, "Sir, the record for Stark on that day doesn't indicate any kind of injection."

"Damn it," Bruce curses and Fury looks at him. "I saw the needle mark myself. Somebody took his blood and I'm willing to bet that somebody was Maya Hansen. Or someone else working with her," he theorizes.

Fury looks away in a thoughtful manner. "So you're suggesting she discovered Tony's uniqueness after the first attack and took blood samples back to AIM for further testing. It's possible," he says with a nod. "Damn it."

"So are we _certain_ Tony's blood holds no value whatsoever to General Ross?" He fights a wave of nausea as he considers it. "What if… What if Ross got exactly what he wants after all? Fury, he won't want me as a trade. He won't even bother if that's the case," he says, hearing the panic in his own voice. "Maybe it's not even a matter of revenge on me."

"He didn't get _exactly_ what he wants." Bruce turns to see Steve standing there looking back and forth between them. "He may not make a trade for Dr. Banner, and we can all agree that would be a bad play altogether. But…" He looks away for a moment before looking back. "But I'm sure he'd be willing to play ball if he could get his hands on the source."

Fury mutters something incoherent and starts pacing. "I push for you to become a team in order to stop the imminent end of the world and you all about kill each other. Stark invites everyone to _play house_ and suddenly you're all brimming with warm and fuzzy feelings. Romanoff infiltrates Congress to find out what I'm up to. Barton disobeys a direct order in spite of the potential threat. Now _you_ want to run the risk of just giving yourself over to Ross as a trade?" Fury stops and glares at them both. "Are you _all_ fucking Dr. Banner?"

Bruce chokes in surprise – he hadn't known about Natasha for one – while Steve chuckles warmly as if not even phased. "No, that privilege still belongs solely to Tony." Steve glances at him wryly. "Unless you weren't kidding about that threesome with Clint and Natasha?"

"Oh god…" Bruce feels untimely embarrassment. "I didn't consider that you were there when—"

"It's fine," Steve says holding up a hand.

"I _was_ kidding, by the way," Bruce adds for good measure.

Steve just smiles before turning his attention back to Fury. "The point is, sir, we _are_ a team now. Partly your doing and partly Tony's. So we're going to stick together and do whatever it takes to get one of our own back. That's what I've always done and this time is no different." He gives a considering look. "I take that back. This time it's different because it's personal."

"Thank you, Steve," Bruce says simply. He doesn't care that Fury still looks like there's no way in hell he's going to authorize that, but he's learned by now that they're all wrong to assume Steve follows orders blindly. When the orders go against his sense of right and wrong or against his personal feelings, the guy makes a different call. And he knows the rest of the team will follow him on this because whether he deserves it or not, they're in his corner. They're in Tony's corner. "Thank you," he says again.

Steve gives him a small apologetic look. "Least I can do after all the mess I've caused," he says and walks away.

Bruce feels a little like he's been struck by one of Clint's arrows as guilty as that makes him feel.

***

"You know," Coulson said to him as soon as Tony strolled into the hospital room, "when the nurse said I had a secret admirer who wanted to pay me a visit you weren't what I was expecting, Stark."

"Glad to see dying hasn't ruined our lovely repartee," Tony answered with a smile. "Oh, but I'm not your secret admirer. Not sure how somebody else would feel about that if I were," he added vaguely.

"Right," Coulson replied with a small groan as he sat up in the bed and then pushed the button so that the mattress moved more upright with him. "I'm sure Pepper wouldn't like it if you were suddenly making passes at somebody else." He looked at him then. "I wouldn't like it either."

Tony squinted. "Me making passes at you because it's you or because of Pepper?"

Coulson chuckled. "Both. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I actually missed your impertinence, Stark."

"Good, because you're going to be seeing a lot of me." Tony flashed him a cheeky smile.

"I'm supposed to be recovering," Coulson countered. "Too much of Tony Stark and I'm likely to relapse." Then he sighed. "Look, about this—"

"This being the fact that it's been two months and Fury has yet to tell us?" Tony questioned.

"You didn't find out I'm here from Fury?" Coulson looked at him with a crease in his brown.

"Nope. That would be courtesy of JARVIS. And, I'm hurt, Phil. I was going to fly you to Portland and everything." He gave him a shrewd look. "There are other ways of saying you don't want to pursue a relationship with a person."

"I don't want to pursue a relationship with her," Coulson said evenly. "And I would have said as much after everything blew over—" He stopped short. "Well, if things hadn't taken a turn for the worse." He shook his head.

So Coulson wasn't interested in pursuing the cellist. That was good news.

There was a long moment of silence between them. Tony shifted on his heels a little awkwardly until he spotted Bruce at the door and smiled broadly.

"Brucey!" Bruce gave him a sharp look, knowing what he was about to do and still disapproving regardless of having agreed to indulge him.

"I sprung for the vending machine's deluxe option," Bruce said and handed him a coffee.

"And here you say I spoil you," Tony said with a smile as he took it. He then turned to see Coulson studying them.

"Dr. Banner?" Coulson finally spoke up.

"Uh, hi," Bruce said to him, shifting a little and looking for all the world like he wasn't sure where to focus his eyes. "This is probably… a surprise."

"Everything's bound to be," Coulson replied. "Director Fury hasn't told me much about the Initiative save for the fact that you all managed to defeat Loki and a few of the details. But I guess I'm a little surprised you're still in New York. You didn't seem too eager to be brought in." Then Coulson looked at Tony. "And you're hanging out with Stark?"

"Isn't it great?" Tony threw his arm around Bruce's shoulders and gave him a squeeze. "Bruce decided to take me up on my offer to come by Stark Tower." He then looked at Bruce openly. "And lucky for me he decided to stay."

"Lucky?" Coulson practically squirmed in his hospital bed. "What's going on here, Stark?"

"Hmm?" Tony deliberately dragged out the inflection as if broken from a reverie. He looked back at Coulson, who looked absolutely horrified. "Oh. Well, you see, turns out Bruce here is the best thing to ever happen to me."

"And what exactly does your newfound comradery with Dr. Banner entail?" Coulson asked sharply. "And does Pepper know? I swear, Stark, if you're going to hurt her I—"

"You'll what?" Tony challenged, even as he felt satisfied by the agent's reaction. "Get off your very much alive ass and tell her how you feel?"

Coulson's eyes widened and then his typically neutral face turned guilty. "Look, if this is your way of trying to wheedle the truth out of me and tell me to back off…" He sighed. "Fine. I care about Pepper. The cellist moved back to Portland because I couldn't give her what she deserved. But you didn't have to cook up this scheme with Dr. Banner to—"

"Cook up a scheme?" Tony blinked innocently. "I didn't cook up anything. I mean, _look at him_." Tony followed his own instruction. "He's absolutely delicious."

"Tony, stop it," Bruce said, genuinely flustered. That had to seal the deal and when Tony looked back again, Coulson's mouth was open and he looked torn between several emotions. Anger was definitely one of those emotions.

"I'm just stating facts," Tony insisted to Bruce. "The man I'm dating is delicious." He leaned in a little and added, "In more than one way." Bruce shoved at him.

"Dating?" Coulson started in disbelief, but then was interrupted by the broken sound of his name as suddenly Pepper was standing in the doorway looking at the man in the bed like he was a ghost. He might as well be, Tony thought.

"It's true," she said breathlessly. "I… I didn't believe it when JARVIS told me. But I had to find out. I… Oh my god," her voice cracked, "you're alive."

"I am," Coulson said, voice marked by his own version of breathlessness.

"Tony?" Pepper suddenly was looking at him and Bruce in shock. "Don't tell me you knew! You knew and you didn't tell me?!"

Tony threw up his free hand. "Who do you think told JARVIS to tell you. We just found out." Of course, Bruce had wanted to tell her directly, but Tony had wanted something with a little more flair. And he'd wanted to gauge Coulson's feelings beforehand.

Pepper's mouth opened to say something, but then her eyes began to water and she turned back to Coulson. She moved to the side of the bed and immediately hugged him tightly.

"You were dead," she cried. "I thought I'd lost you."

Tony looked at Bruce and Bruce clearly shared his thought. They both silently removed themselves from the room so Pepper could find what she'd lost and hopefully more than that.

***

"You'll find him, Bruce," Coulson hears Pepper's voice as he comes into the lab to check on the progress of the gamma trace. She and Banner are in the middle of a video call. "Tony's a statistical implausibility remember? He'll be okay."

"I'm trying to believe that," Banner says with a sigh. "I have to believe that. But I'm just so afraid this will be the one time he… he…" Banner shakes his head. "And it'll be my fault."

"Bruce," Pepper says his name gently, "that's not true. Tony wouldn't think that and you know it."

"She's right, Dr. Banner," Coulson interjects at that moment and moves to stand in front of the screen so he can see Pepper. She looks worn. He knows this has been hard on her too. She and Stark still have a long history and even if it's only friendly now, it's a friendship unlike most friendships. There's also the fact that he knows she's been dealing with the company side of things. The Board was already giving her hell over the AIM attack and now they're demanding to know Stark's whereabouts – since amateur footage of the Red Hulk attacking the tower had been filmed and leaked. "And how are you holding up?" he asks her in concern and Banner bows out of the conversation.

"I don't think the Board is buying the story that Tony just coincidentally went on a mission right before the attack." She sighs. "The only thing keeping that story hanging by a thread at all is insisting he went to apprehend whoever attacked the first time."

"It's something at least," Coulson says, but he knows it's still not much. "We can maybe make an official statement for you to give them corroborating the story." He glances at Banner. "And do they think—"

"No, thankfully," she says in understanding. Banner looks over with a studious expression. "I told them Bruce left for a humanitarian visit prior to the attack since he knew Tony would be gone. I showed them the books for the private jet proving you did leave the country."

"Wouldn't they just think that's a poor alibi?" Banner asks.

"Not when some of them still don't believe rumors that you're the Hulk and those who do can't imagine you'd be able to get back so quickly on your own," she explains. "Had you been anywhere but the middle of nowhere, maybe it would be a different story."

"Well, it was useful for something anyways," Banner mumbles at that.

"Still," Coulson says pragmatically, "a Red Hulk attack doesn't do us any favors in trying to prove Hulk isn't to be feared."

"Don't you think Ross knows that?" Banner almost snaps. "He doesn't even need to do anything else. That alone can ruin any chance I have of sticking around. He can do whatever he wants to Tony and make it so everybody will be calling for Hulk in a cage. It's a perfect scenario for him."

"And Ross maintaining radio silence seems to support that," Coulson admits. "We're practically dangling Captain Rogers on a hook and nothing. And Colonel Rhodes has been trying to go through military channels to see if he can get in touch with him or find out anything at all, but no luck."

Coulson watches as Banner considers it for a long moment. "Maybe he wants us to come to him. Knock on his front door," he suggests. "If we walk in freely—"

"—he's not the one who looks like he's eager or coercing our hands," Coulson finishes knowingly. "Fury's considered it. It's decent strategy. Make us do all the work."

"On a time crunch on top of it," Pepper adds in a knowing tone. "It's definitely a good strategy if that's the case."

Suddenly Banner growls in a manner that doesn't sound like the Hulk, but purely him and purely determined as he hurries back over to his station where he's running the trace. Coulson glances at Pepper and then back at the physicist.

"I'm done playing Ross' game by his rules," he says heatedly and suddenly he's typing so quickly and manipulating things on the screen that it almost makes Coulson dizzy.

"Dr. Banner?" He nods to Pepper who ends the call and then walks over to see what he's up to. His eyes go wide when he sees the flashing red warnings. "What are you doing?"

"What I should have done from the very beginning," Banner says with cold, even fury. "I'm strutting."

Coulson furrows his brow because he's not sure how that's supposed to explain anything. Before he can press for something less vague, Fury comes into the room with the rest of the team on his heels. It's almost like déjà vu, or would be if he'd been in the lab during that fateful moment rather than learning of it later.

"Do you want to tell me how the hell you just managed to hack into multiple grids we don't have free access to?" Fury barks. Coulson's eyes widen.

"I was already pretty good at getting into places I'm not wanted," he explains almost casually, "but this is definitely Tony's wheelhouse. Let's just say he's got all the toys and he gave _me_ free access."

Fury looks contemplative then asks, "Clean access?"

"You know," Banner says in a scathing sort of tone, "I don't particularly care if it is." He sets Fury with a challenging expression. "Tony is counting on us and every second—" He's interrupted by an alarm indicating a match has already been found. "Miami," he tells them.

Fury blinks once, perhaps not sure if the quickened search will be worth any potential bureaucratic nightmare later, but then schools his face so that he's the hardened Director once more.  "Hill, set us on a course for Miami. Everyone else, get your battle gear ready. Rogers, you know the plan. A jet will be ready to take you on ahead."

Coulson sees the way everyone in the room tenses.

"Are we sure this is a good idea?" Barton questions.

"No, it's a terrible idea," Wilson replies. "He's going in there blind and alone."

Rogers smiles at Wilson and shakes his head. "I won't be alone."

***

Tony couldn't remember the last time he felt this happy and at peace. Something about waking up with his body tangled with Bruce's was better than just about anything. It was even better than the phenomenal sex they had proven they could have, and had spent the past nearly three months proving again and again why it had been worth it to find out. There was something that felt permanent, safe, _right_ about waking up in the same bed with him and he was glad he'd finally managed to convince the physicist that it made sense for him to just start sleeping in his bed afterwards instead of trekking back down the hall to the other room. Although as good as it felt to have him in bed this way Tony thought he might just have to convince Bruce to make it a permanent sleeping arrangement with or without sex as a preamble.

He carefully rearranged their bodies so he could get a better look at Bruce as he slept. The lines of his face were nearly nonexistent and his breathing was slow and steady. He looked like no trouble had ever touched him. Tony reached out a hand and smoothed his thumb along Bruce's morning stubble and Bruce inhaled more deeply at the touch before exhaling slowly, tilting his head minutely. Tony smiled unable to remember a time in his life when he'd felt so absolutely boneless from something so simple, so…so absolutely beautiful.

As he continued to watch Bruce sleep, he was already beginning to think he couldn't imagine his life without him in it and he didn't know what to do with that. He wasn't sure what it meant. This was all unfamiliar territory for him. He'd never felt this strongly so quickly about anyone. He'd never even felt this strong of a connection with anyone at all. If there was _something_ there before, it had only gotten stronger since they'd taken the leap.

And he thought it must be the same for Bruce because he had yet to change his mind and take off running for the hills. On the contrary, there were signs of him allowing his life to be integrated more fully with Tony's. They were planning things together, like the change of the tower to a home base for the Avengers or projects for Stark Industries or that science conference Bruce was actually looking forward to, probably because it had been so long since he'd been to one.

"It's like I can feel your thoughts going a hundred miles an hour," Bruce mumbled in a sleepy voice. He smiled thinly, but didn't open his eyes. "You think so loud," he teased, sounding a little more awake this time.

Tony smiled wider and leaned in to kiss the closest spot of skin he could, which in this case was just at the corner of one closed eye. "Sorry if I woke you with my loud thoughts," he murmured.

Bruce opened his eyes and maybe it was a mixture of the morning and the strangeness of feeling this strongly and the natural chemistry between them, but for a moment Tony was mesmerized and it wasn't until Bruce softly pressed his lips against his that he was awoken from his trance. Or maybe it was like moving from one trance to another.

"I like feeling like I'm able to feel your thoughts," Bruce said in a sheepish tone when he pulled away. "It's kind of comforting. Like I'm not dreaming or…alone. Sorry," he then apologized. "I've been told I'm sappier in the morning. I told you that you might regret having me sleep here."

Tony felt his like he was breathing in helium and he leaned in and captured Bruce's lips again. "Don't apologize," he whispered and then pressed his lips to Bruce's jaw. "I'm right there with you," he admitted. "And I don't regret a thing when it comes to you. Save maybe not being able to wake up like this every morning." He accentuated his hint with a few more kisses and then met Bruce's surprised brown eyes with his own.

Bruce looked down the line of their bodies and tentatively entwined his fingers with his before looking back again. "Do you think it's safe?" he asked in a hoarse whisper.

"Nothing's happened yet," Tony pointed out.

"Yet," Bruce echoed and closed his eyes.

Tony squeezed his hand and kissed him again. Bruce opened his eyes in slight confusion. "Sharing a bed with you is worth the risk, Bruce. And I'm notoriously not somebody who likes to share," he explained with a jab at himself. "But, honestly, I don't think there even is much risk. I'm more concerned about sharing a living space with the assassins if they take our offer." Bruce chuckled dryly. "Would you like me to convince you?"

Bruce rolled his eyes fondly. "I'm still a little tired from last night, honestly," he said with a small laugh. "And that's saying something," he teased.

"Good," Tony chirped. "That's good. Because what's more convincing than just enjoying laying here? Seeing how nice it is, hmm?"

Bruce looked at him with wide eyes for a short moment and then smiled thinly. He then moved so that he could bury his head just beneath Tony's chin. "Absolutely nothing," he said and gave a small sigh before drifting off again.

Tony kissed the top of Bruce's head and then stared at the ceiling. His thoughts were surprisingly quiet save for one very loud thought at the forefront of his mind. It wondered if this was what love felt like.

***

 _Almost, Hulk_ , Bruce thinks as he tries to keep himself and the Other Guy calm. Now that they have a lock on a similar gamma signature and the coordinates of a military base to go with it, it's harder to just sit by and let the plan play out. Needless to say Hulk just wants to go barreling in. Bruce wants to also, if he's being honest, but that's a last ditch effort. That's for when extraction is necessary, and Fury thinks it will be, and the heaviest hitter is needed against Ross' new heavy hitter.

Still, he wishes they could get there quicker. He wishes they could all go with Steve in the jet once the full brief of the plan is finished – although he's having a hard time listening to Fury and Steve discuss the particulars – but Fury has decided against it. He wants the Helicarrier in the air over Miami and wants to give Steve just enough time to work his part of the mission without interference.

"What do you think you're doing?" Steve suddenly sits up straight and his face is set in what can only be described as hard concern.

Bruce is broken from his thoughts and turns to see what it is that's gotten Steve's attention. He sees Sam standing off to one side fiddling with one of the straps of his exo gear. Suddenly Steve crosses into his line of vision as well, having got up to stride over to the other man. The brief is immediately put on hold.

"What's it look like?" Sam asks with a snort as he looks down at the troublesome strap.

Steve stops him with a hand on his wrist. "You haven't been cleared by medical yet. You're sitting this one out."

"Like hell I am." Sam looks up at him with a shake of his head.

Bruce sees the way Steve's back tenses up. The super soldier gently wrestles the wings away from Sam and sets them down with reverent regard in spite of having taken them. Sam scowls at him like a lover would right before an argum—

Oh. _Oh._

"You're not going out there, Sam," Steve says again, more gently. "Sorry."

"Sorry my ass," Sam replies sharply. "If you really think I'm going to let you go without me on a mission against a guy obsessed with the serum you're more senile than I thought," he then says with another snort.

Bruce purses his lips because now is not exactly the time to analyze how easily that insult, though clearly said without intent to hurt, had rolled off of Sam's tongue – almost like an inside joke between them. He can imagine it's an interesting relationship given the generational disparity. And just how long have they been together for there to be that much familiarity?

Steve goes rigid again. "And if you really think I'm going to let you risk reinjuring yourself or…or _worse_ , you've got another thing coming."

Bruce is well aware that everyone is watching the scene unfold now, but the two men don't seem to care. The only thing in the world to them is each other and their stubborn, equal determination to keep the other safe. Bruce wrenches his eyes shut. It's just like him and Tony. They'd both been so busy trying to do anything to protect one another that it had blinded them to the importance of just being open and honest and a team, two halves of a whole.

"It doesn't matter what happens to me," Sam retorts. "The only thing that matters to me is what happens to you. _I'm going_."

" _Dammit_ , Sam!" Steve bristles and Bruce opens his eyes again to see him right in Sam's face and looking at him desperately. "I thought I was going to lose you… I _can't_ do that again!"

Sam doesn't back down, only closes a little of the already sparse distance between them. "And I'm not losing _you!_ "

Unsurprisingly the two men, broken and charged, surge forward in near sync for what's likely a bruising kiss. It's tender and sloppy and somehow uniquely them.

Bruce's thoughts are all over the place now. He thinks about how much he wishes it could be him and Tony kissing each other desperately right now. And he thinks about how if Tony was here he'd be bowled over by the other two men's secret relationship being thrust out into the open like this.

"There wasn't even a betting pool," Bruce hears Clint mutter nearby in shock and he knows Tony would be right there along with him.

He even thinks about how utterly bizarre it is to see Captain America kissing, well, anybody – let alone so openly. It's all sliding lips and urgency, and not at all like a man who came from a generation known for keeping these kinds of kisses private.

But mostly he thinks about how he wishes Tony would have just told him sooner that General Ross had been trying to get to him; maybe then he wouldn't have panicked and they could have come up with some rational counter measurement. He thinks about how he wishes he hadn't let his panic cause him to think running would be the only way to keep Tony safe – and he understands firsthand why Sam doesn't want to let Steve out of his sight because he hadn't been there when Tony needed him most.

"We do this together, Steve," Sam says when the two men suddenly break apart, though that's not really the terminology for it because they're practically melded together still with the exception of their mouths. "It's the only way."

Steve nods, their foreheads moving slightly where they're pressed together. "You're right. I'm sorry. Just don't do anything stupid," he says with a shaky laugh and kisses Sam again, a quick one.

"I won't if you won't," Sam replies with a charismatic smile and looks at Steve knowingly. Steve nods again and they finally let go of each other. Steve grabs the exo-7 and gives it to him in concession.

He then clears his throat and looks around at his, mostly slack-jawed as Bruce notes, audience and becomes a firm Captain once again. "Stop standing around like you've never seen a lovers spat before and prepare for the mission. We have a soldier to rescue."

The room immediately moves into order and even Fury remains tight lipped save for a, "You heard the man."

Steve then looks across the room at Bruce and his expression solidifies his determined message to the bridge. Bruce suddenly feels guilty that he'd ever blamed Steve, ever felt anger over something he had no control over, because there's a silent promise in Steve's eyes before he looks across the room to where Sam has moved off to prepare as ordered.

Tony had risked his own life by giving up his armor to get Sam out of harm's way. Steve will do whatever he can to make sure he returns the favor.

***

Tony removed his marshmallow from the flame of the crackling fireplace and tested the char on it. The only other sound was of the night noises outside the log cabin they were staying in. He looked at Bruce to see him lost in thought as the fire danced across his skin in the low light of the room. Every new setting somehow made him more beautiful than the last and Tony knew he would never be able to pick how he liked Bruce best because there was no sliding scale. Bruce was just perfect. End of story.

Tony moved the marshmallow back to the flame for a little longer and shared just one of his many wandering thoughts. "One time I went to this ridiculous, overpriced restaurant with s'mores as one of the desert options. And I remember thinking it didn't taste like I remembered. And then I remembered that I'd only ever once had a legitimate s'more one time when I begged to go camping one summer. Dad obviously said no, but Obi promised he'd take me. Then a business meeting came up so Jarvis did his best to salvage my eight-year-old broken heart by setting up a tent in the backyard. He started a fire going and showed me how to make s'mores. That restaurant s'more definitely paled in comparison."

He pulled the marshmallow back then and waited all of five seconds for it to cool before taking a bite of the sticky mess. Bruce turned his head and looked at him with a small amount of amusement. Tony proffered the stick with marshmallow in his direction and Bruce smiled before hitching a shoulder and leaning in for a messy bite of the gooey deliciousness as well.

"You know," Tony continued once he'd managed not to make too much of a mess, "logically I know it's probably the wood or something that makes the s'more taste better." Bruce looked at him as he attempted to lick the excess marshmallow from around his lips and Tony's brain stuttered for a second. He shook his head and looked back at the fire. "But at the time I thought maybe it had something to do with the company." He gave a soft, content chortle. "That _was_ a damn good marshmallow so maybe it does." He looked back at Bruce to see him smiling again. "Your turn," he prompted.

Bruce let out a small sigh and turned his gaze to the fire; the flame brightened his eyes. Tony wasn't one to sit idle for long, but he was fairly certain he could sit there and just stare at those eyes for days.

"I was thinking how beautiful you look bathed in firelight," he said with a small smile. "Like you're the sun."

"Huh. I might have been thinking the same thing about you," Tony confessed, nudging him slightly with his shoulder.

"I was also thinking about us."

"I like the sound of that."

"I was thinking if you would have told me six months ago when we started this..." He let his sentence trail for a moment as if he wasn't sure what to call it. He then looked at him. "That'd I'd be sitting here with you like this, feeling the way I do," he shook his head, "I would have said you were crazy."

"I believe the words used were impossible and illogical," Tony reminded him. "But to be fair, if you would have told me we'd be spending our six-month anniversary in a log cabin I would have used the same words." Bruce raised one eyebrow. "Not that, you know, it's not nice," he added quickly and moved a little to wrap an arm around Bruce's shoulders. "I mean, spending three days alone with you in the middle of nowhere has been more than gratifying."

It had also been good for both of them to get away for a few days due to everything that had recently come to light. They'd probably look more into the files JARVIS had found when they got back, but for now it was just a warm fire, cozy cabin, and lots of solitude for them to just get lost in each other.

"Yeah," Bruce agreed and nestled closer into the crook of Tony's arm. "It's been too good to be true."

Tony furrowed his brow and craned his neck a little to look more closely at the other man. "Hey?"

"Hmm?" Bruce seemed to return from some distant place inside his head. He furrowed his brow when he noticed Tony's concerned expression. "Something wrong?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing," Tony said, still studying him. "All this talk about this being crazy or too good to be true."

Bruce shook his head, but had a thin smile on his face that confused Tony a little further. "Can't help it, I guess." He shrugged. "It's just… It's all very surreal for me, Tony. It's amazing and I… I can't believe it. It doesn't make any sense."

Tony felt the small knot in his stomach uncoil. He moved the hand not wrapped around him and traced the line of Bruce's face with his thumb. "I guess it is surreal," Tony conceded, lowering his voice slightly. "I never thought I'd love anyone the way I love you."

Bruce stilled his wandering fingers by taking a gentle hold of his wrist, though he didn't move his hand away rather held it in place. "There's a part of me that can't believe that either. It doesn't believe you can really love me."

"Don't listen to it," Tony urged.

"I'm trying not to," Bruce admitted. "But," he glanced down, "I've spent most of my life believing people aren't supposed to love me, Tony." He glanced back up and gently thumbed his wrist. "They're not supposed to touch me like you do. They're not supposed to look at me like… like…"

"Like you're the most amazing person on this planet," Tony supplied in a whisper and kissed Bruce's temple. "Like you're brilliant, and funny," he kissed him again, "and beautiful, and the one that's too good to be true."

"Tony…" Bruce replied with a whisper of his own and Tony answered the unfinished statement with his lips against Bruce's.

They kissed long and slow until Tony pulled back and searched Bruce's eyes. "How about making love to you in front of the fire? Is that something that's supposed to happen?"

Bruce closed his eyes. "No," he said with a subtle shake of his head. Then he opened his eyes again and added, "But I hope it happens anyway."

Tony smiled and recaptured Bruce's lips. Bruce wove his hands into his hair and slowly they tumbled together until Bruce was sprawled beneath him. Their mouths took turns devouring the other before Tony broke the contact for a quick moment to remove his shirt.

He then kissed Bruce again, hard and deep, before trailing his lips down his neck and then up the side until he reached Bruce's ear. He breathed raggedly against it and caught one of Bruce's hands from where it was trailing up and down his back. Tony brought the hand around to his chest and pressed it against the reactor.

"The heart beneath this thing is beating for you, Bruce," he whispered. "Even when you don't believe it."

***

It's late afternoon when Steve reaches his destination and finds Colonel Rhodes waiting for him in his suit. Well, his newly redesigned suit. He'd met Rhodes in D.C. back when he was War Machine, but the suit's been recently redesigned to red, white and blue and the military's decided to call him Iron Patriot now. It's a little off-putting, like they wanted Captain America with the firepower of Iron Man.

"Something told me you'd be here," he says with a friendly smile.

"Yeah, well, this bastard is messing with my best friend," Rhodes answers with a nod as they begin their trek towards the front gate. "Just because he's got a new team doesn't mean I'm going to stand by and do nothing."

"A best friend never does," Steve says with conviction. He then looks at the new paint scheme with another shake of his head. "And for the record, you look like Tony and I had a baby. And I'm not sure that's a good thing."

Rhodes barks out a laugh. "Not my idea. I'll make sure they paint the next one green. How's that sound?"

Steve chuckles. "I'm sure Tony will be ecstatic," he says, hoping that they can find Tony so they can all laugh about that idea later. "Bruce might have some objections."

"I could say it's green for camouflage," Rhodes jokes. Steve gives him a dubiously amused look. "Right. He'd never buy it," he agrees. Then he looks him over. "So, uh, speaking of suits. They sent you in without your shield?"

"Seemed for the best. Didn't want anyone getting their hands on it," Steve explains. "I left it with Sam for safekeeping 'til the team arrives."

Rhodes' eyebrows go up slowly and he purses his lips and nods in a teasing way. "Sam, huh?" Steve decides it's a good moment to scan around for any signs of being watched. "I thought I saw some looks back in D.C."

Steve's eyes widen and he looks back at the other man. But then he can't help himself so he lets out a guilty laugh. "Yeah, I'm sure you did."

"Hey, man. Can't blame you. Wilson's a stand-up guy."

Steve is about to say something else. Maybe compliment his boyfriend or just say anything that might distract himself from the real worry for Sam still churning in his stomach. Worry that this time Sam won't be so lucky and he'll be left alone again, without his silver lining. But then they reach the gate of the military base and it acts as distraction enough.

"Nobody's on post," he says and looks at Rhodes.

"I thought something seemed off. I looked into it and Ross has never been stationed at this base."

Steve thinks the whole scenario has seemed off since they'd first started trying to track Ross. His military instinct tells him that they're up against a brilliant strategist and that strategist is two or three steps ahead of them.

"And it's not listed as abandoned?" Steve asks as they slip past the gate in a cautious manner.

"Negative," Rhodes answers as he looks around.

"So maybe you boys should take the hint," a voice says and they move into a military defensive position on instinct.

Steve focuses his vision to see a man not in uniform who looks more like a lackey or hired thug than soldier or scientist. "We're here to speak with General Ross," Steve tells him.

"Are you now?" the man asks as he chews a piece of gum like he couldn't care less.

"We don't want any trouble," Steve tries again.

The guy snorts and looks off to his side. Steve glances to see more people dressed in civvies.

"Something tells me that's not true, Captain," the guy says, looking back at him. "But I'm sure the boss is real interested in talking with you too."

Steve looks at Rhodes. "Really starting to regret not bringing my shield," he mumbles to him.

"I got your back, Cap," Rhodes replies and shoots at the guy.

He takes the hit directly to his chest, but barely falters back before straightening again. "That the best you got?" Steve's eyes widen as something like fire lights up under the skin of his face and moves upward until his eyes are glowing reddish-orange. Rhodes swears in confusion beside him. "Because we're just getting warmed up."

Steve glances around at their assailants to see similar states of an inhuman fiery glow. Then he charges at the main guy with all the strength he can muster, but it's blocked by a fiery fist and he's knocked back. Rhodes is busy trying to take out two attackers at once and when he manages to do so the person explodes like a bomb that sends him and Rhodes both flying back.

Steve coughs and looks up to see the main guy hovering over him. His arm has been blown nearly clean off from having been near the center of the blast as well. But then it impossibly starts to grow back on its own until it's as if the injury had never been.

Steve coughs again and closes his eyes, mind swimming and body aching in spite of his super soldier resiliency. He really, _really_ wishes he'd brought the shield along.

***

Tony felt like his heart was breaking. He didn't need an arc reactor encased in a box to prove the organ existed. Not anymore. He only needed this moment, this pain, as he watched Bruce slowly pack a duffel bag. It had long been pushed to the back of the closet, but never discarded. Tony had tried to ignore it, thinking Bruce needed it there more for his own comfort, but now the fear that he'd use it again was coming true right before his eyes – no stealing away in the middle of the night or when Tony was away – and _damn it_ Tony felt like his heart was breaking.

"I thought you said you weren't going to try and stop me," Bruce said without turning to look at him, and the pain in his chest only grew.

"I'm not," Tony promised. "I even had JARVIS send word to have the private jet ready for you." Bruce froze momentarily. "I just… hoped maybe you would change your mind on your own," he admitted forlornly.

"I'm sorry," Bruce apologized. "I can't."

Tony bit his lip and moved to stand just behind Bruce. He felt him tense before melting against the tentative brush of Tony's hands against his back. Then without warning he turned around quickly and wrapped Tony in an almost crushing hug. Tony hugged him back just as tightly as they buried their heads against the other's shoulder. 

Tony wasn't sure how long they held the embrace, only that he never wanted to let go. Because once he let go, Bruce would leave. He might be a statistical implausibility, but this was the one thing he couldn't survive. His heart was breaking and nothing in his DNA could stop it.

"I love you," Bruce mumbled as they still held each other and Tony was aware he was crying. They both were. "No matter what happens, Tony, I always will."

"And I love you," Tony murmured back. Choking on air and tears, he said, "I love you so damn much. You don't know, Bruce."

Bruce pulled away and looked at him with his gorgeous brown eyes, red and wet and filled with all the pain and sadness Tony never wanted to see in them. He tilted his head back, shaking it twice, as he said, "I do, Tony. I do."

Their lips met then, long and hard and tender and broken and needy. So very needy. Tony felt selfish for wanting to push Bruce to the bed, to take him just once more, to be taken one last time, should Bruce's grim prediction come true and they never have this chance again. But he knew there wasn't time. He knew Bruce wouldn't want that, or might think the worst of him. He knew nothing could convince him to stay, but as long as this kiss was all that was left for them he could at least go on kissing him for as long as Bruce would allow. Bruce seemed inclined to make it last too.

Tony made a study of Bruce's face with his fingertips and a study of his lips and mouth with his own and he knew Bruce was doing the same. And it hurt like hell, like he was drowning, like his heart was breaking, like he was on fire—

"Don't leave," he murmurs against his lover's mouth. "Please, don't leave me, Bruce," he chokes out. "I need you. I need you. Bruce!"

He cries out, gasping for air, as his eyes open and Bruce's phantom disappears. He immediately regrets having woken up because he remembers he'd been taken and there's searing pain coursing through his body. It's like he's on fire.

Tony looks down and sees that his bare chest _looks_ like it's on fire too. His skin is rippling with orange and red just beneath, like a bizarre neon light show. His head falls back down on the upright bed he's strapped to and he wishes this were a nightmare like all his other nightmares, but he knows it isn't.

He turns his head, looking at his surroundings, but it isn't much. It looks like maybe an abandoned warehouse. Nothing distinct. He could be absolutely anywhere. He wonders how long he's been here or if anybody is looking for him. Natasha had been there. JARVIS would have alerted the rest of the team.

"Ah, look who's finally regained consciousness." A cold, sinister, and all too familiar voice fills the space. Tony looks up to see Aldrich Killian coming toward him with a far too white, shark's smile.

Tony remembers Betty warning them about him, about him being the head of AIM, but he's surprised to see him. "What do you want, Killian?" he asks with a small growl, pain still surging through him.

"Easy. Easy there, tiger," Killian replies, words dripping like poison from his tongue. "You'll disturb the process." He runs a far too manicured fingernail across Tony's chest just beneath the reactor. And suddenly Tony fears what the light show under his skin is doing to his lifeline.

"What is this about?" He ignores his own danger. "Are you filming this? Are you going to ransom me in exchange for Dr. Banner? I know AIM is working with General Ross. I know you attacked my tower on behalf of that psychotic bastard. But you're not getting him," he practically snarls through the pain.

Killian just chuckles in a calm manner and shakes his head patronizingly. "Very touching words. I can tell how much he means to you." He clasps his hands together, one index finger extended in a point. "It's a shame they're wasted on me." Tony feels his stomach fall amid the fiery pain. "You see," Killian slowly raises his palms up and takes a step back, "I have no need for Dr. Banner. All that _his_ blood is good for is creating monsters." Killian grimaces. "And actually I already have one. Wasn’t really in the cards, but I’m adaptable." Tony furrows his brow as he tries to follow his mad rambling. "The point is. I don’t need another monster. What I _do_ need is a working Extremis."

Tony’s eyes close shut. "Extremis," he repeats as the name rings a bell. "Maya Hansen?"

"See, Tony. I knew you'd remember," Maya’s voice sounds over an intercom. "You're going to help me finish it."

Tony opens his eyes wide and looks down. 

"That’s right, Tony," Killian says smugly. “Extremis is already in your system. You may or may not remember a little, well, a glitch of sorts."

Tony snorts bitterly and sucks in a breath. "I seem to recall something," he says as he licks his parched lips. That _something_ is a very problematic explosion when the bio system rejects the virus. 

"So you know how this could end," Killian says with a small pout before it twists into a wicked grin. "Ah, but have hope, Tony. You see, we theorized a long time ago that maybe the problem is in the DNA. Although as a species all signs point to our being due an upgrade it seems our genetic code hasn't quite reached that peak yet. Oh, sure, we can _and have_ gotten several bodies to accept Extremis over the years, but it's… well, it's quite the strenuous process and," he makes an exaggerated face of disgust, "and the regulation process is… I'm not going to lie, it's a nightmare. Have you ever been next to a person who suddenly stops regulating? It's not pretty," he says with a shake of his head and another pout.

"Just get to the point," Tony forces out because he's tired and in pain. "What does any of that have to do with Ross? With… with attacking my tower?"

"Ross was a means to an end, really," Killian answers with a flippant wave of his hand. "Helped an independent think tank shimmy past the hurdles that usually stand in the way of getting military funding. Irksome hurdles like having your think tank investigated and past," he air quotes, "'unethical scientific atrocities' being brought to light. At first it was just about the potential Extremis has for creating super soldiers, but turns out the guy really _is_ quite obsessed with your current squeeze."

Tony feels indignation roar through him and the fire blazes in his chest. "I swear, if you've done anything to help him get Dr. Banner—"

"Ah, ah," Killian chastises with a shake of his head, "watch the temper. We don't want any sudden uncontrolled variables before the process is completed." Tony scowls at him. "But, really, I was intrigued by Banner when I first learned of his condition. Did you know that SHIELD has—" he pauses, "well, _had_ several vials of his blood?" He clucked his tongue a few times. "And they have the nerve to come after AIM."

"Yeah, well, SHIELD didn't attack my tower." Tony doesn't trust SHIELD. He doesn't trust Fury. But he trusts AIM less and regardless of his disagreement with Fury's tactics, he thinks there's a fundamental difference of end goals between him and Killian. "SHIELD isn't the one that's turned me into a human lava lamp."

Killian laughs, bears his teeth. He points at him. "I hate to admit it, but you're a hard guy to dislike, Tony. You're just," he shakes his head, "how to put it… infuriatingly charming. Tell me, I'm genuinely curious, is that how you tamed the beast? Because from what I understand, Dr. Ross tried, but failed."

"Fuck you," is the only response Tony will dignify that with.

Killian heaves a put upon sigh. "Here I am giving you a tip about SHIELD and its secret stash of your romantic partner's blood and that's all you can say? Well, that's gratitude for you."

"Yeah, well, at least when SHIELD had it they weren't creating more Hulks," Tony spits out and then grits his teeth as another wave of excruciating pain hits him. "You created another one, didn't you?" He vaguely remembers the ordeal before he'd gone unconscious.

"Again, not my original intention. You see, we wanted the blood to test its effect on Extremis. It was… a disaster." Killian hangs his head dramatically. "But, you know what they say about failure being the mother of success. There was some sign of the Extremis coding well with the inclusion of the mutated DNA prior to the horrible, horrible results that followed. So, we moved on. Thanks to Ross, we knew Dr. Banner's blood was mutated based on the formula that gave us good 'ol Captain America himself."

"So you wanted his blood?" Tony interjects tiredly. He's beginning to put the pieces together. All signs point to his being there because of his blood.

"Surprisingly there were no vials of blood on hand that we could find, and believe me, we looked. Not even Fury's personal server had any clues," he explains with a weary sigh. Tony furrows his brow. Killian has access to Fury's personal server? "So we had to find a way to get a sample for ourselves."

"The AIM base?" Tony asks, closing his eyes against another surge of pain and, honestly, he's beginning to wonder how his body can even take it at this point.

"Bingo," Killian says with a shark grin. "We planted the discovery of the base in their system and waited for them to follow the lead. I knew with enough incentive they'd send Rogers himself in to save the day. And with a little chemical warfare we hoped it would give Dr. Hansen a chance to get a small sample." He then tilts his head. "She did in case you were wondering. In his distress, he didn't bat an eye at giving a little donation for a transfusion to save his boyfriend." Tony furrows his brow, his head spinning a little at this point because Killian _won't. shut. up._ He's beginning to understand the complaints against himself. "I don't know if a second failure is still the mother of success or something else," he says breezily, "but as it turns out Captain Rogers' DNA is a little too impervious. The first few seconds were absolutely glorious. Everything we wanted for the recoding process. Only, the DNA repair was so quick when introduced to the test subject that the result was near-instant rejection." Killian makes a small explosive sound with his lips and accompanies it with a hand gesture of a similar nature. Tony feels suddenly nauseous at the thought that, given what he knows of AIM, those rejections and explosions might have been of human test subjects.

"So now you're going to test it on me," Tony says finally.

"Actually," Killian interjects, "we've already synthesized a test with your blood." Tony's eyes widen. "You see, we had no clue you were special too until that AIM base incident. When it became clear Rogers' blood was out of the question, we decided to try and figure out what was going on with you instead, Tony. You practically gave us an open door by allowing Maya clearance into the tower."

"Shit," Tony curses, remembering the attack and the needle mark on his arm. "You needed to reproduce the original unexpected incident at the base."

"And when you survived, we took the blood," Killian supplies. "Which is why you're here, Tony. Your blood seems to be the perfect balance. Whatever you did to it," he looks at him with a knowing expression, "I applaud you. It repairs at a beautiful rate and it doesn't create mutations. Your body… Your body is responding to Extremis better than anything I've ever seen. It's," he smiles like he's genuinely in awe, "really quite spectacular. If it holds, which it should, I predict a working Extremis. One that doesn't require regulation because it's become a seamless part of your genetic code. _Think_ of it."

"I'm trying not to," Tony replies. "So you needed me to be sure. You needed to test the actual subject," he says through gritted teeth. "And what about that other Hulk? What about…" He looks down at his reactor. "What about the reactor? Won't that interfere with your mad science?"

Killian waves a hand as he takes several steps back. "That other Hulk is a story for another time. But he served a purpose in making it easier to get you here." He then looks at the reactor. "We wondered about that. It's a pesky uncontrolled variable. See, Extremis, as you may already know, has the ability to repair a body. We've seen it regrow limbs, muscle, bone even. We've never been sure about internal organs as a whole." He then looks up with a sharp smile. "Until now." Tony's eyes widen and he cranes his head downward in a hard, frantic study. "But, I'll let Maya explain it to you. I can't have all the fun." He tweaks his head to one side. "Well, that and I have a couple of pests I have to deal with." He starts to walk away, still talking. "You know, I knew they would offer Dr. Banner as a trade, but I wasn't expecting Captain America. Interesting move, all things considered, wouldn't you say, Tony?" Killian stops and turns to look at him, flashing another smile.

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Of course, I'm still expecting your big, green boyfriend to show up sooner or later so the rest of my day is booked solid. Have fun, Tony."

Tony watches him go and then closes his eyes tight in pain. He doesn't know what to think, what to feel other than the pain. They offered Bruce as a trade? Or he offered himself? But then why Steve? Steve is the key to everything so why would they do that? Nothing makes sense and he only knows that Killian has something in store for all of them, even Hulk if Killian has his own Hulk-like creature now for Hulk to contend with.

"I'm so sorry," he whispers. He doesn't even know who he's apologizing to at this point. Maybe everyone. He only knows he can't see any ways of fixing this. He opens his eyes and looks at his chest again. Maybe he won't even be alive _to_ fix it.

***

 _Team take too long. Smash now_. Bruce is trying his best to keep calm, but Hulk's grumbling is becoming more and more difficult to contend with and his own urgency isn't helping.

Steve has yet to report back. Ross has yet to show himself. Something feels wrong about it and he's not sure why. He keeps running through all the angles, over all the facts they have and every theory they have, but Bruce is starting to get that nagging feeling that there's a missing variable somewhere.

He's broken from his thoughts by the sound of his phone vibrating. He glances down and is surprised to see that it's Betty. They'd exchanged numbers before he'd gone. She'd told him to call him if he needed absolutely anything. If she's calling him it must be important, and with them searching for her father he picks up the phone immediately.

"Hello?"

"Bruce," she says his name in a sigh of relief. "Where are you? Are you okay?"

"I'm with SHIELD," he says and looks around the room to realize all eyes are on him.

"Oh thank God," Betty replies. "I've seen the footage. There's a red Hulk? And... is it true... Is Mr. S— Tony," she corrects. "Is Tony with you?"

Bruce's heart tightens and he loses it. He's been trying hard not to break down, to stay strong, but suddenly it's all too much. This isn't anger; it's his sadness returned tenfold and fear and pure, unadulterated brokenness.

"No," he chokes on a sob. "He's been taken. He's not here."

"Bruce, I'm so sorry," she says and he still knows when she's being genuine. "I should have said something sooner. I never thought—"

"It's not your fault," he says, pulling off his glasses and wiping his eyes with the base of his palm. "It's mine. I should have listened. _You_ even said I shouldn't run."

"Now, don't," she sounds emotional too, "don't start that. Nobody's going to blame you so don't blame yourself. If… If we're going to blame anyone it's my father," she then says bitterly, but there's a hint of something in her voice that's closer to worry.

"We're going after him, Betty," he tells her after a moment. He decides she deserves to know.

"Is that Dr. Ross?" Fury demands immediately. "Put Miss Ross on speaker."

"Bruce, I… I know this is going to sound crazy, but—"

"What?" Now he's certain she's worried about something. "What is it?"

"I said, put her on speaker, Dr. Banner," Fury clips, loud enough for Betty to hear apparently.

"Go ahead, Bruce."

"Dr. Ross, I know you didn't just call for no reason," Fury says as soon as the phone is on the table again.

"I called to see if my friend was okay," she says sternly. "I wanted to know if the rumors are true that Mr. Stark was apprehended by a red Hulk. I've seen the footage."

"Then—"

She barrels over him. "And I'm not stupid. I know that you think my father had something to do with this and I don't blame you, but something doesn't add up."

Bruce blinks. "What? What doesn't add up?" His nagging suspicion returns.

"I've been trying to reach my father since shortly after I left New York. He hasn't been returning any of my calls."

"Maybe because he doesn't want to implicate his daughter," Sam says.

"Or maybe because he can't be bothered while he's busy torturing Tony Stark," Clint suggests.

"I know that it makes sense that way, I do," Betty tries.

"Give her a chance," Bruce says with conviction. "Hear her out."

"Thank you," she says quickly. "I didn't feel right about everything so I decided to stop in D.C. after leaving Stark Tower. My dad had another congressional hearing scheduled for this morning. I thought I'd wait around for him. He never showed up."

"Could still be a coincidence," Hill remarks.

"Look, I know that my dad has done unforgivable things," Betty bites back, "but trust me on this. Aldrich Killian is far more dangerous. I'm worried my father played with fire and now Killian's done something."

"What do you suggest then, Dr. Ross?" Fury asks frankly. "Because, with all due respect, our top priority is Tony Stark."

"And it should be," Betty replies. "But I went snooping through the AIM database and found a backdoor to a project called Extremis. Apparently they've been testing it in—"

"Miami?" Bruce asks sharply.

"Yes," she says. "Why?"

"A gamma trace seems to indicate that may be where the red Hulk is," Coulson answers her.

Betty doesn't respond and Bruce's eyes widen in panic. "Betty, where are you?"

There's a beat of silence. "Miami." Bruce's stomach sinks.

"Dr. Ross, whatever suicide mission you're about to attempt," Fury intervenes, "I suggest you stand down immediately."

"I technically still work for Killian and have credentials. I've been trying to get to the bottom of what this guy's been up to for over a year so I'm going to get answers even if it kills me."

"It very well may. I repeat, Dr. Ross, stand down."

"Betty, don't—" The call abruptly ends. "Damn it!" Bruce is up to his feet and pacing around, Hulk growling that now they have to save Betty too. "I'm not…" He looks at Fury. "I'm not going to be able to hold him back much longer. Damn it," he curses again. "I don't _want_ to hold him back," he admits.

"Banner—" Fury starts.

Bruce ignores him and looks back at his team. "Hulk has trusted me, even when it didn't end up well for Tony. I'm not going to make that mistake again. We know where he is. It's Hulk's turn."

The three remaining Avengers and Sam look at one another. Then Natasha gives him a small nod. "Sorry, Fury," she says without looking at him, "but we're going to have to borrow another jet." She stands up without further fanfare and gestures for them all to follow her.

Bruce glances at Fury to see his reaction, expecting – well – fury. A hard glare followed by a glance at Hill and then a very brief quirk of the corner of his lips is the mystery he sees instead.

***

Betty isn’t an idiot or a just a pretty face. She's been under no pretense that Killian wouldn't have kept her around if not for her father, and maybe now as it would seem her connection to Bruce. She's been under no pretense that Killian trusts her.

What she hadn't expected was for that corruption to run as deep as it did in her colleague Maya Hansen. She'd thought Maya had left the company nearly six months ago, but now she knows she's been working on whatever this Extremis is directly and who knows what else hush hush. Betty isn't an idiot or a pretty face, but maybe she's naïve.

She'd thought they had become friends. She'd thought Maya had come on board because she believed in pure, wide eyed science that couldn't be tempered by bureaucracy and funding woes. Betty, scientist that she is, had believed that entire spiel because it made sense to her on a personal level. She'd felt it. So many she'd known, Bruce included, had felt it. It hadn't been hard for her to believe in Dr. Hansen or to encourage her to take her dreams elsewhere. So it hadn't been hard for her to accept the lie that she had.

Which is probably why she still can't seem to wrap her mind around the sight of Maya torturing Tony Stark. She's… she's not sure what she's doing exactly, but it looks like he's quite literally burning alive underneath his skin from where she stands in the shadows. Getting to this point hadn't been relatively difficult, much to her surprise. The place seems almost deserted.

"Just a little more," she hears Maya say after Tony screams in pain. "Your body's not going to reject it."

Tony continues to thrash, grit his teeth, and scream in combination and Betty takes a few steps forward, unable to look away. Her heart is beating in fear and her mind is racing with thoughts as his body suddenly lights up so red and fiery that she's sure he's going to just explode.

"Oh god," he bites out. "The… the re—ahhhh!"

His anguished scream curdles Betty's blood and her eyes go wide in panic as her breathing becomes labored at the scene. Suddenly his chest looks like it's cracking open; Betty can't help but be reminded of magma as she brings her hand to her mouth to hold in a gasp. Tony continues to scream and slowly the metal in his chest burns up. Betty's certain this has to be Tony's end and she hates herself a little for just standing by helplessly, doing nothing.

Then suddenly the fire subsides and Tony's screaming turns to fevered panting. He looks normal again, only his chest is missing his reactor, metal dripping down his skin instead. Actually, his chest is missing the hole where it should be as well. He looks perfectly healthy.

Betty's eyes widen when the pieces begin to fall into place. Extremis is the regeneration formula Maya had once mentioned over drinks early on in their sham friendship. She hadn't said much, but she'd gone on and on with a scientist's mesmerizing passion about how lives could be changed, saved even, if only the secret to regeneration could be unlocked. Betty could never have imagined she'd take such an extreme vision and actually attempt it.

"Congratulations, Tony," Maya says now that the screaming has stopped. "Extremis is finished."

"It's gone," Tony says in disbelief. "Shrapnel," he says. "I'm… I'm going to die without it."

"The shrapnel was burned out near the start of phase two," Maya says simply. "You're a brand new man, Tony. You should be glad. Your body has accepted Extremis," she continues. "And more than that it's," Betty recognizes her truly awed tone of voice, "it's actually working. Just like Killian said it would. This is it, Tony. This is everything that I've been working for."

Betty takes a breath and moves out into the open, aiming the gun she'd brought with her just in case – because she's not _that_ naïve anymore. "You haven't accomplished anything, Maya," she says as evenly as her nerves will let her. Tony's head shoots up and in her direction and Maya turns in surprise.

"How did you get in here?"

"The same way I've gotten anywhere. Nobody pays attention to me. They underestimate what I'm capable of."

"Their mistake," Maya says in response. "I told Killian not to keep you around."

"Let him go," Betty ignores her and gets to the point.

"Or what?" Maya looks at her dubiously. "You'll shoot me? We both know you won't."

"Consider who my father is," Betty says, steadying herself as she moves forward. Tony is looking at her with wide eyes.

"Ah, right," Maya says with a nod and sardonic twist of her face, "the madman who'd turn himself into a beast just to catch his daughter's ex. Really, you should maybe be a little concerned, Betty. Your dad seems to have quite the—" She shuts up when Betty is close enough that the gun is almost directly in her face.

"This is all for nothing," Tony suddenly interjects. "You've got me, sure, but something tells me you were looking to mass produce this. I'm only one person with really messed up DNA. What about everyone else?"

Tony glances at her and Betty understands that he's attempting a distraction. She takes a step back, but keeps the gun trained on Maya. She then slowly moves around in an attempt to get on the opposite side of Tony.

"Do you think we’re amateurs, Tony?" Maya asks with a roll of her eyes. "We made sure to take plenty of your blood before we started."

"Okay, but you're still missing a variable," Tony says, eyeing Maya carefully. "Did you mix my blood with Extremis when you ran the simulation? That seemed to be the gist of what Killian was saying, but who can tell. He's a lunatic."

Maya narrows her eyes. "What game are you playing, Tony? You're a genius. I know you've figured it out by now in your head what we've done."

"And run the calculations," Tony responds in a surprisingly breezy tone. "So the only _game_ I'm playing here, Hansen is the one you abducted me for. You want a working Extremis. You want to finish it. It's not yet."

Maya tilts her head in a patronizing fashion. "Look down at your chest, Tony. It is."

"It's not," Tony insists as Betty comes to stand behind him in a position where she can take out Maya if she even makes a move. Maya wasn't entirely wrong in her goading. She doesn't want to shoot her. It's why she's willing to let Tony and that incessant mouth of his try to get them out of this first. "Oh sure, Extremis plays nice with me. But that's in _my_ system. My DNA was already mutated long before you introduced your questionable formula to the mix. But my DNA isn't strong enough to mutate others' blood. Not like, say, Dr. Banner's. My DNA may prolong the regulation period in a baseline system, but I can almost guarantee you it won't last. Sooner or later a person will stop regulating and if it's anything like Rogers' blood—"

Maya visibly flinches, her eyes wide and distant, and her neck trembles with a hard swallow. Betty gasps and lowers the gun in realization.

"Maya, you didn't," she whispers in dread. She glances at Tony whose eyes are wide from the same realization.

"I needed a test subject," Maya says. "I didn't want to wait around to find a new one and..." Her face hardens. "And he's lying. He's just trying to ruin this, but I won't let him," she says angrily and her skin begins to glow red.

Betty immediately raises the gun again, her heart in her throat. "Maya, you're sick," she says, moving around and away. Maybe she can get to the control center on the far side of the room if she makes a run for it. "You need help."

Maya glares in her direction, eyes flickering like fire. Slightly stunned, Betty hesitates and then suddenly with surprising speed and force Maya lunges at her. Betty panics and shoots, the bullet going straight through Maya's shoulder. The other woman stops in surprise and looks down at the shoulder and Betty knows she should take the chance and run, but she's too mesmerized by the way Maya's arm burns bright red and the hole in her shoulder heals up.

Betty barely has a chance to blink after that before Maya grabs the barrel of the gun, her hand red like her shoulder had been. The metal becomes too hot and Betty screams in pain as she lets go and falters back, holding her wrist. She looks at Maya to see the gun completely melt and fall to the floor in a puddle. Then Maya eyes her like she's the next target.

"Maya, please," she tries. "Don't do this. We can help you."

"Listen to her, Maya," Tony demands. Maya turns her head to look back and Betty follows her gaze to see Tony standing there with his hands held up in a non-threatening gesture, but the palms ripple with red. She looks at the table he'd been strapped to. The straps are burned through. "You don't want to hurt her." Maya looks back and Betty meets her gaze. To Betty's surprise, she seems to actually be considering Tony's words and her eyes begin to look normal again, filled with clarity. "I’m _not_ lying," Tony continues.

"Why should I believe you?" Maya questions and snaps her head back in his direction.

"Because you're a genius," he compliments her and she straightens a little. "Think about it. What do I have to gain telling you that you're sick? What do I have to gain offering to help you after what you've done to me? What you may be planning to do to Dr. Banner or anyone else? If I'm right, you go boom and the secret's still mine."

"And Killian's too I'll wager," Betty offers as she straightens as well. Tony glances at her and he subtly gestures for her to circle back around closer to him while she has the chance. Betty does so since she's now unarmed and her hand is slightly injured.

"Oh, most definitely," Tony agrees. "Answer this, Maya. Do you know why my blood was mutated?"

"It resembles Banner's and Rogers'," Maya answers. "You must have tried to replicate the serum."

Tony snorts. "Typical. Killian doesn't _want_ you to know, Maya. If he's really got his hands on SHIELD files he shouldn't have and hasn't even shared their secrets with you then chances are he's playing you too. He wants a working Extremis, but you're just a variable he can eliminate. And he's already got the secret weapon."

"What are you talking about?" Maya asks with a glare and Betty can't help but wonder too.

"Howard Stark had a vial of Steve Rogers' blood," he explains evenly. "For whatever reason," he shrugs, "he felt possessed to inject me with it. Steve's DNA did a weird little number on mine."

"Oh my god," Betty says and looks at Tony. "That's terrible." She then narrows her eyes and considers it. "That means hypothetically Rogers' blood would need to be introduced successfully first before Extremis is introduced." She looks at Maya, concerned in spite of everything she's done. "Maya, you could be in danger."

"I suspect you're Test Subject B in this," Tony tells her. "Let me help you. We can find a way to get this out of your system. Or maybe we need to introduce Steve's blood as a stabilizer," he hypothesizes. "I don't know, but you don't have to run the risk while Killian gets his hands on what he wants without you in the way."

Maya doesn't say anything for a long moment, but then the hard lines in her face finally soften and she closes her eyes. "He's already got Rogers. He's bound to have taken enough blood by now. It's too late anyway."

"It's not," Betty urges.

"Help us help you," Tony reiterates.

***

Sam knows he doesn't have to keep it in hand, but he can't let go of Steve's shield. It's amazingly light, but it's still a heavy weight. It's solid like his need for Steve to be okay when they get to their destination. He's only holding it temporarily, he tells himself.

"How long?" Bruce asks him, interrupting his thoughts.

Sam looks over to see him not looking at him, but at the suitcase in his lap that contains an Iron Man suit for when they find Tony. It must be a heavy weight too. Sam glances around the jet. Thor has flown on ahead for immediate support and Clint and Natasha are piloting even if they can probably still hear them. It's terribly quiet.

"It'll help me keep my head clear," Bruce seems to agree that it's unnervingly quiet.

Sam sighs and looks at him again to see Bruce looking back. "Well, it's a little complicated," he starts. "Fury wanted Steve to have a few contacts while he was in D.C."

"You mean baby-sitters?" Bruce asks with a raised eyebrow.

Sam gives a soft snort. "Something like that. Somebody who could step in if need be to give him back up. I wasn't one of those contacts initially," he recalls. "I was just assigned at the Triskellion for the time being. I met Steve the old-fashioned way. He lapped me about twenty times on my run one morning." He chuckles fondly as he remembers it. Bruce smiles thinly. "I think I fell for him from the beginning," he admits. "One morning run turned into another and then another. Then we were getting lunch or hanging out at the Triskellion. Next thing you know I'm assigned to being his wingman while he's there."

"Doesn't sound too complicated," Bruce comments.

"We hit it off, but being around him all the time was…" He looks down at the shield and smiles broadly. "Damn, it felt right. It felt more than right. But, you know, he was Steve Rogers."

"I can see how that would be intimidating," Bruce says with a small laugh. "Maybe almost as intimidating as Tony Stark." His voice is fond, but his eyes fall back down to the suitcase.

"Yeah, well, lucky for me I wasn't the only one that seemed to think it felt right. We, uh…" He coughs. "You know, one thing led to another. One of us made a move, I don't even remember who now. The kiss was electric and we wanted more. That was early October," he tells him, finally answering the question of how long. "But it wasn't anything serious at first. Some legitimate dates. Some sex. We were just testing the waters. Or that's what we were trying to tell ourselves just in case it didn't work. We both knew he'd be heading back to New York in November and our job is pretty crazy in general."

"But then the AIM thing happened and you realized it was more serious than you thought?" Bruce guesses.

"Well, honestly, I think I knew the day after Steve left D.C.," Sam confesses. "He was gone and I didn't like it. Felt like there was this big empty space…everywhere," he says and grips the shield tighter. It won't come to that again. He has Steve. He's going to keep Steve. And Steve isn't going to lose him either.

"Yeah," Bruce says after a minute. "Yeah, I know that feeling."

"We're here," Natasha interjects, coming from the cockpit as the back of the jet opens. Sam looks up and then looks at the opened hatch. He nods and stands, more than ready to go as he grips the shield firmly. "You and me first, Sam," she says as she straps on a parachute. She then looks at Bruce. "Clint's going to find a place to land the jet. It's your call when you come out swinging, Doc. Here's a link."

Sam waits for Natasha to jump out of the jet and make some distance before following after her. The ground below is littered with spots of red and orange like fireflies amidst the obvious lightning strikes from Thor. There are also repulsor blasts.

"Is that Stark?" Sam asks over the commlink.

"No, it's Rhodes," comes the answer from Colonel Rhodes himself. Sam flies in quicker and takes out an assailant for him using Steve's shield before landing and collecting the prized item. "Got here when Steve did," Rhodes tells him without segue. "Heard about the planned offer. Thought he might be able to use some immediate backup should it go south. For the record, it went south and kept going."

"Where is he?" Sam asks. Rhodes doesn't answer right away, rather shoots at an attacker just beyond Sam. "And what the hell are these things?"

"They're some kind of fire-powered super soldier as far as I can tell," Rhodes answers the second question.

"Doc, if you're still with us, can you use the computer on the jet to tell us what the hell we're dealing with here?" Natasha questions.

"Uh, yeah," Bruce says.

"Where's Steve?" Sam asks again while they wait for an answer from Bruce.

"I don't know," Rhodes answers and Sam feels his stomach knot. "Killian took him somewhere else. Thor found me first. We've been trying to find him and Stark, but we've been a little busy dealing with these bastards."

"The satellite is picking up unique heat signatures from all of them. They're like bombs, but also... Oh god.These aren't machines. They're _people_ ," he says in a horrified tone.

"Shit," Sam curses, not sure what to think.

"Yeah, and a tip for everyone," Rhodes chimes in, "they explode like bombs too."

"It looks like some of them are hotter than the others," Bruce supplies. "I'm hypothesizing the hotter they get, the more likely they are to explode. Try… try not to engage with any of them for too extensive of a period. Lead them away or something."

"Easier said than done," Natasha says.

"I might be able to take out some of the ones not near you guys. Send some explosive arrows their way and see what that does," Clint says.

Bruce sighs. "I guess it's an option." He doesn't seem to like the idea, probably because these are people. Even if currently the enemy. "Wait," he then says. "There are two isolated heat signatures in the far left quadrant of the base. One is reading hotter than all of the rest."

"Cover me," Sam says and uses the shield to fight his way through a few of the foes surrounding him before getting back into the air and jetting toward the area.

He switches his goggles to detect thermal readings and scans the area until he spots what Bruce must have been referring to. He doesn't bother with the subtle approach, blasting down the door and rocketing inside. He pulls up sharply and lands when he sees Steve strapped against an examination table and struggling to get free.

"Sam!" Steve shouts and struggles further.

Sam's stomach sours at the sight and it only grows sourer when his eyes focus on Killian, standing there reading with an unusually hot thermal signature, and a needle of blood in his hand. Steve's blood no doubt.

"Not the boyfriend I've been expecting," Killian says calmly and sets the needle into a briefcase filled with other needles and closes it. "Which, honestly, leads me to wonder if anyone is even still strictly heterosexual these days. Or is it just a superhero thing?"

"I found Cap," Sam tells the other. "Killian's here. Backup now." The others copy almost all at once, save for Bruce.

Killian sighs and hangs his head. "And here I was hoping things wouldn't have to get messy."

"That shipped sailed when you messed with Captain America," Sam says and then charges hard toward the villain. Killian charges back and Sam blocks his first blow with the shield. "Shouldn't have made it personal." He throws a hard blow back.

***

 _Why Banner still fight?_ Hulk grumbles in his head. _Hulk save Tony now! Hulk help team!_

Bruce takes several deep breaths as he scans the satellite imagery for what feels like the millionth time in the last five minutes. They'd found Steve with Killian, but still no sign of Tony.

 _I know, Hulk. I know_ , Bruce thinks.

_Not trust Hulk! Still not trust!_

_It's not that! Not completely._ He takes another deep breath, to calm his very real fear at the moment. "But something's not right. Just… Just a little bit longer," he presses aloud. "I need to figure this out," he mumbles thoughtfully as he uses the computer to access JARVIS remotely. "You with me, JARVIS?"

 _Yes, Dr. Banner_ , the AI answers over the QuinJet's speakers.

"I don't know what to do here, JARVIS," he says honestly. "Something isn't adding up. I… I have a sinking feeling that Tony isn't here. You store his complete vitals, right? Are you able to run a scan and see if he's here based on that?"

_Yes, sir. Mr. Stark upgraded my system to be able to locate him within a reasonable proximity. He has been considering ways to call a suit to him without the need for a transmitter on his person._

Bruce blinks. "Remind me to tell him that's a horrible idea when this blows over," he tells the AI.

 _Gladly, sir_. JARVIS sounds inclined to agree. _I am not detecting any signs of Mr. Stark in this area._

"Damn it," Bruce hisses. "I knew it. I just…" His eyebrows rise slowly and he darts his eyes here, there and anywhere as he straightens his posture. "Betty." It dawns on him. Nobody's found Betty yet either. "JARVIS, can you access my phone log and backwards trace the origin of my call from Betty Ross earlier?"

_I should be able to. It may take a few moments._

"I understand." Bruce glances at the suitcase. "Another question, JARVIS? If my theory is correct, is it possible for you to send the Mark V to Tony's location?"

 _I'm sorry, Dr. Banner. The Mark V predates the unmanned autopilot feature as Mr. Stark was still quite worried about the tech being stolen. It requires facial recognition of someone Mr. Stark trusts in order for the autopilot function to engage._ He pauses _. Dr. Ross' call originated from the old Roxxon Oil plant and refinery off the coast._

"Two locations," Bruce says as his hunch is confirmed.

"What?" Clint asks, reminding him that he'd still had the commlink open the entire time.

"Killian and Ross have two locations," he tells him. "The old Roxxon plant off the coast may be the other. It's where Betty called from. She and Tony might be there. So that's where I'm going."

"We need the jet," Clint says.

"I know," Bruce says. "I'll find another way."

_Hulk get there! Hulk smash! Hulk save!_

Bruce takes a deep breath and considers it. Then his eyes fall on the suit. Would Hulk be able to take it to Tony without unintentionally destroying it? Should he leave it behind for the team to bring?

_Sir, I feel it may be helpful to point out that you are one of those trusted persons—_

"Who can use the suit," Bruce finishes as realization strikes him. He runs a nervous hand through his hair and feels Hulk grumbling at him to hurry up and do _something_ or else _he_ _will._ "What do I have to do, JARVIS?"

_I have created a flight plan for the location. If you put on the suit, I will activate autopilot._

Bruce sighs and makes up his mind. He activates the suit and it assembles around him. _Hulk, I'm taking the suit to Tony. Don't freak out and just smash it up. We need it in one piece for him. Then I promise it's your turn._ Hulk grumbles again and doesn't respond. Bruce doesn't have time to coax a more reassuring answer from him.

The HUD scans his face and alerts him that he's been recognized. Bruce awkwardly walks to the open hatch of the jet and then as soon as he's free of it, the suit skyrockets into the air.

"Keep calm, keep calm, keep calm," Bruce mutters over and over again as the suit takes him at Mach speeds toward the coast.

 _I assure you that you are quite safe, Dr. Banner_ , JARVIS says.

"Keep that in mind, Hulk," he says with a nervous chuckle and hears a disapproving grunt in his head. "No party tricks until we've located Tony and given him the suit," he insists again. He just hopes it's that easy.

_We have reached our destination and I'm picking up more heat signatures similar to those at the military base._

Bruce scans the HUD looking for any sign of Tony. "We can deal with that later," he says, meaning Hulk. "Right now we just need to find Tony and make sure he's okay."

 _Sir, I believe I have located Mr. Stark_ , JARVIS says and Bruce feels a rush of relief hit him. _But I am detecting a similar heat signature on his person so I am not certain._ The relief turns to panic. _Sir, your heart rate is spiking dangerously._

"Just get me down there, JARVIS. Or out, I need out of the suit," he says desperately.

The suit somehow manages to speed up even more and it lands hard on the ground and then opens. He rushes out, breathing raggedly, but then he sees Tony. Several feet away Tony is with some of the soldiers like at the military base and Bruce doesn't know whether to watch in awe or continue to panic as Tony glows red as well, landing blows with more force than he's ever seen.

"Not that your little Extremis gift isn't a fun little party trick," Tony shouts. Bruce follows the way his head turns and sees Dr. Hansen fighting soldiers as well, glowing red, and just beyond her he sees Betty with a gun. "But I like my suit better."

Bruce snaps to and looks at where the suit is folded back up. "I thought you might be missing it," he calls just as Tony quite literally sends his fist through the soldier he'd been fighting in a rather violent way, Tony snapping his head in his direction.

"Bruce!" Tony removes his fist and pushes the faltering soldier back before running toward him.

Bruce knows he should run too, he really wants to, but he's just so overwhelmed to see him that he stands there frozen. It's not until Tony's right there within reach that he surges forward and they meet. The danger around them falls away for one perfect moment as Bruce clings to the man he's been so afraid he'd never see again.

"I'm so sorry," he says as they embrace. "I should have trusted you. I—"

He pulls back and looks at him for just a second before their lips meet in a desperate, heady kiss. He tries to pour everything he doesn't know how to say into that kiss, his apology and his determination to never let it happen again and his hope that he hasn't irrevocably screwed everything up between them. The way Tony kisses him feels like he might be trying to do the same.

"Uh, guys," Betty calls to them and they break apart in sudden recollection of the danger they're still in. Bruce looks to see her shoot a soldier about to blindside a preoccupied Dr. Hansen. "We could use a little help over here."

"Right," Tony nods, "time to really suit up."

Bruce watches as Tony hits the release and the suit begins to assemble around him. "Wait," he narrows his eyes at Tony's bare chest, "where's your reactor?"

"Long story," Tony says in non-answer. "I'll tell you all about it when we're on our private island far, far, _very far_ away from here." Bruce smiles at that promise, but it's short-lived.

"What's that old saying?" Killian calls out and they turn to see him on an old platform, glowing red against the dark horizon. He hears Tony mutter a few expletives. "Don't count your chickens before they hatch?"

"Bruce, are you at Roxxon?" Clint chirps in his ears. "Because I lost visual on Killian and I think—"

"Way past that," Tony says.

"Good to hear your voice, Stark," Clint replies. "Sending back up your way."

Tony looks up at Killian then. "I'll have you know if you were planning on finishing that question with something about how you're going to scramble our eggs, I _will_ take you out with even less mercy than I was already planning," he says flippantly.

"Oh, no. I won't be doing the scrambling," Killian says and looks down and away. They all follow his gaze to see General Ross and Betty gasps. "That's his job," Killian finishes.

General Ross screams out in pain, body convulsing and eyes going wide.

Bruce's own eyes go wide as the man's skin starts to ripple and transform into the last thing Bruce would have expected. Giant, red, and yellow eyes burning like fire. Hulk starts to growl in his head, pushing so that Bruce knows he won't be denied this time. Bruce is more than ready to let him take his turn now.

***

Hulk lets out a pleased roar because it's about time Banner lets Hulk out. Tony is safe like Banner promise, but now Stupid Ross thinks Ross can be Hulk too?

"Hulk the only Hulk!"

Hulk roars again and charges the red, poor imitation of Hulk's might. The world becomes a blur like it always does when Hulk fights. Hulk hears Tony fighting too. Tony fights like Hulk fights. Tony is strong.

But not strong enough to fight Ross-Hulk so Hulk will keep Tony safe too. Hulk protects Tony like Hulk promise Banner. Hulk feels Banner calm and Hulk bears his teeth in a smile because Banner trust Hulk finally.

Lightning hits Ross. Hulk looks up and roars.

"Hulk not need help from Thunder God!"

Thunder God laughs like it's funny. "Undoubtedly," he says.

"Tony!" Betty shrieks and Hulk turns sharply.

"Go, Hulk," Thunder Man says. "I will fight the red Hulk while you're gone."

Hulk snorts, but then leaps over to where Betty is next to another lady. Lady looks like fire. Lady is scared of Hulk and scrambles back.

"Hulk." Betty looks up at him. Betty is scared, but not scared of Hulk. "Hulk, Maya needs help. You..." She looks away. "Tony. You need to get Tony." Hulk hears Ross roar and looks back to see Thunder Man still fighting him. Hulk should be fighting Ross. "Forget my father for now, Hulk. Please."

Hulk grunts and then leaps toward the platform where Tony is fighting a man with a tattoo of a dragon. Dragon Man is squeezing Tony's arm. Dragon Man's hand is red and burning through the suit that keeps Tony safe.

"Dragon Man hurts Tony!" Hulk growls and grabs the puny man. "Hulk smash Dragon Man!"

***

"Am I good enough for you now?" Killian taunts as Tony rockets upward and lands on the platform in front of the mad man. "Huh, Tony? If I had looked like this would you have blown me off for Maya? Or would you have invited me along?"

Tony feels his stomach turn in revulsion. "You seriously think I'm the type of guy to share anything? It would have been one or the other and, face it, Killian. You weren't my type then. And you sure as hell aren't now."

"Right," Killian says sharply, "because bestiality is your thing."

"I'd say at the moment Hulk is more of a man than you are," Tony spits back easily because he isn't about to play Killian's game. If he wants a rise out of him, that's not the way to go about it.

Killian bares his teeth in a deranged smile. "You might be right about that," he says, eyes gleaming as they start to turn red. He rips off his shirt and throws it away to show his chest lit up with Extremis, highlighting a rather tacky dragon tattoo. "So how about once I'm done subduing you I show you what I'm really capable of," he says. "I won't let Ross kill Hulk, oh no. I think I'll keep Dr. Banner as a nice little trophy. You can watch while I make it so he doesn't even remember his own name let alone remember you. He'll beg to die and then maybe I'll let you do the honors."

That, on the other hand, does get a rise out of Tony. "I'm going to send you to hell before you ever get a chance," Tony growls and blasts at Killian's arm just for it to heal almost immediately.

"Ah, ah, ah. I'm unstoppable now, Tony," Killian taunts, but Tony keeps firing. Maybe if he fires faster than Killian can regenerate. "With Steve's blood in my system and yours in the Extremis formula, my body accepted Extremis almost immediately. Fire away, Tony. But I'm more powerful than even you are now." He lights up even brighter, squeezing his arms down and tilting his head upward. Fire blazes from his mouth into the night sky and Tony falters back. "Can you do that, Tony? Huh? Can you? Oh sure, you'll keep on regulating, but so will I. You'll never be a match for me."

"You think I _want_ to do that? Think again," he says and then lunges for a more direct attack on Killian.

"I could do this all night, Tony," Killian counters as he matches blow for blow.

"That sounds like an invitation I'm not interested in," Tony replies and lands a hard blow and then several blasts with his repulsor.

He thinks he might be getting the upper hand when he hears some scream for him and he turns to look on instinct only for Killian to grab his right arm in a strong and hot enough grip that there's a crunch and then the metal of the suit begins to give way to Killian's fiery touch. Tony feels his own body begin to heat up as if on instinct to fight back and he wonders briefly if there could be a way to make a suit that works with Extremis. But at the moment, the suit is insular and it's beginning to feel a little like he's in an oven as he wrestles with Killian.

Tony calculates the precise angle to regain the upper hand and is just about to strike when he hears Hulk roar loudly behind him.

"Dragon Man hurts Tony!" Hulk growls and before Tony can react, Hulk has Killian in his hand and is pushing him back down to the ground below. "Hulk smash Dragon Man!"

Tony starts to charge after him when he hears someone call his name again. This time he registers that it's Betty and he lets Hulk handle Killian while he rushes over to where the woman is. He immediately sees the way Maya isn't looking too hot, or, maybe _too_ hot.

"If we don't help her soon she's not going to make it," Betty says.

"My body's not…" Maya tries and shakes like she's having extreme withdrawals. "I think it wants to stop regulating. I need…"

"Can you regulate it with anything else until we can dig a little deeper?" Tony asks.

"Maybe," she says. "But I need—"

"A lab. Barton," Tony cuts over her, "how fast can you get the jet ready to take someone to the Helicarrier?"

"A few minutes, but it's here at the base," Clint answers.

"Steve, do you copy?" Tony asks next as he looks around to see who's there with them. Looks like it's just him, Hulk, Thor and Rhodey.

"He… He's sitting it out right now, Tony," Sam answers instead. "Killian took a lot of his blood," he says so angrily that Tony gets the feeling Sam might like to take Aldrich out himself. "Idiot tried fighting and went unconscious after the first hit."

"Damn it," Tony curses. They need more of his blood, but not if Steve needs to hold on to what he's got. "I was going to say I need him in that jet with Barton because Dr. Hansen needs a little of his blood or she's not going to make it."

"Why the hell would I let her have some of Steve's blood?" Sam growls almost possessively. "She's part of the reason we're in this mess in the first place. I don't want her anywhere near him."

"Why? Because she's a ticking time bomb, Wilson. Literally," Tony argues. He looks at Betty and sees her concerned expression before adding, "Don't make me play the 'Steve would want us to do the right thing' card, Wilson because so help me I will."

"Tony," Natasha interjects, "I'm checking the base for any vials of blood, but Killian might have taken the vials with him when he left here. I'll keep looking, but you need to keep an eye out for them. For Steve's sake," she says and he doesn't miss the concern. "Then we can worry about Hansen."

"Right," Tony agrees as Rhodey lands in front of him.

"What do you need done?" he asks.

"You read my mind."

"Still your best friend."

"Damn betcha," Tony says and then points at Maya. "Somebody needs to take her to the jet so she can be taken to the lab on board the Helicarrier. Then somebody else needs to find out where Killian's keeping Steve's blood because it's probably here some—" Tony is cut short as Ross comes barreling toward them, him undoubtedly the target, and he has just enough of a chance to fly away so that Ross course corrects and avoids taking out Rhodey, Betty and Maya as well.

Ross sends him flying into the side of the building and then barrels into him straight through the walls and inside the old plant. He falls to the ground and he sees the massive red fist aimed for his head, but then two massive green hands wrap around it and pull Ross off of him.

"You okay, Tony?" Rhodey asks over the comm.

"Yeah," Tony answers through an exhale of genuine relief. "Just take Maya."

"Already on it. And I think Betty is looking for the blood."

_Sir, the suit has amassed critical damage. Repair modes are online and working to restore offline systems, but the thrusters have been disabled._

"Fuck," Tony bites out and then sighs. "Open the suit, JARVIS."

_Sir, need I remind you that there is a hostile Hulk in the vicinity?_

"Open the suit, J," Tony snaps and the suit opens. Tony hurries out and shields his eyes just in time as a blinding bolt of lightning comes down on Ross and causes him to go barreling backwards. Tony just misses being smashed by his colossal hand in the process, but his suit isn't as fortunate. "So much for repair," he says with a huff. "New party trick it is."

Mjolnir goes flying by and sends Ross back even further before he can regroup and Hulk runs after it to land another blow. Tony debates his next move as he watches Hulk get a choke hold on Ross. He's about to go find Betty when Ross manages to escape the hold and thrust Hulk across the plant. He takes off after him going to land a counter attack and Tony can't help but stand and watch in genuine concern. He knows Hulk is strong and certainly capable, but he's never gone up against anything like himself and it's clear it's nearly even at the moment.

"This red Hulk is a formidable opponent," Thor speaks Tony's thoughts aloud.

"Getting tired?" Tony asks.

"Yes," he says, but then charges Ross' back.

Tony narrows his eyes when Thor hangs onto a choke hold around Ross' neck as he wheels around trying to get him off and Tony spots something he hadn't before.

"Thor, there's something on his neck!" he shouts. He doesn't know what it is, but if he had to guess it's what Killian had used to cause a pain-induced Hulk out. "You need to get it off." Tony decides to tap into Extremis and see if he can't get it off himself, but just as he's about to charge there's a blood-curdling scream.

"Betty." Hulk growls ferociously and then attacks Ross with more force than he yet has. "Stupid Ross hurts Betty! Hurts own daughter! Mean man always hurts nice people! Blames Hulk!"

"Go," Thor urges Tony and he's broken from his reverie as Hulk gets the upper hand and begins to smash Ross without mercy.

Tony hurries out of the plant and down the ramp. Scanning the area, he finds Killian with a death grip around Betty's throat as he dangles her over a railing along the perimeter of the plant. If Killian drops her it's a straight shot down the side of the massive artificial island structure the plant sits on into the ocean. In Killian's other hand is a briefcase, likely Steve's blood.

Tony runs as fast as he can with all the fury he can muster. His body blazes with adrenaline, pumping through his veins like blood, and his muscles burn with strength and purpose. Tony pulls back his arm and channels everything he has into a punch that goes straight through Killian's back and out through his chest.

Killian goes rigid and turns to look in shock at Tony, eyes wide and dilated like a dead man's. His body starts burning redder and redder in an attempt to heal itself fast enough for him to survive, but then he starts to convulse and loses his grip of Betty's neck. Tony lunges past him and catches her hand over the railing.

"Tony, the blood!" Betty shouts as he tries to channel Extremis strength to pull her up far enough to grab onto the railing.

"You first!" he shouts back.

"No, he's going to explode," she protests. Tony looks over his shoulder and sees Killian faltering away, briefcase still in hand, and it's clear the Extremis is burning too fast now. "You have to let me go or else it'll take the blood with it."

"I'll find another way," Tony tells her determinedly and continues to pull. "THOR!" he shouts for help, hoping the demigod is in a position that he can get there in time just in case. He feels Betty trying to loosen his grip on her and he grips tighter. "Listen to me, Betty! I _will_ find another way. Trust me."

"TONY!" Betty screams and it's all the warning he has before he feels himself being knocked over the railing, the woman's hand slipping from his grasp instantly.

 _Need a suit! Need a suit! Need a suit!_ Tony's head supplies helplessly over and over. He hears the distinct whirl of Mjolnir and sees a flash of red before an explosion shakes the air and sends him flying forward rather than straight down, metal and concrete debris showering around him. For a second his vision goes white from the shock.

Then he comes back to at the sound of a blessedly familiar roar and before he can hit the ocean Hulk has him practically surrounded. It's still a hard hit that knocks Tony unconscious for a few moments, but Hulk takes the brunt of it and when Tony opens his eyes again he's lying safely on the ground, back at the plant, with Hulk, Thor, and Betty gathered around him and the destruction from the explosion nearby. It's almost déjà vu.

"Is this going to be a regular occurrence with you, Stark?" Thor is the one to make the joke, cracking a cheeky smile.

Tony huffs out a laugh. "Maybe. A guy could get used to Big Green's power hugs. So what did I miss? Nobody kissed me right?"

Thor laughs at the joke and even Hulk snorts and says, "Banner's job."

Tony preens. "That it is, Big Guy."

Then he looks over at Betty to see her looking exhausted, sat nearby on her knees, but still smiling softly as she holds up the briefcase. It must be made of something super industrial because it's barely charred. He hopes the contents inside aren't shattered and contaminated as she sets it aside and heaves a sigh. He realizes belatedly that he definitely owes her an apology or ten thousand for how he'd treated her before everything happened.

"Are you okay?" he asks her as he pushes up into a sitting position.

She nods. "I think so. I'm just… tired. And in a lot of pain. And," she looks up and her lip quivers, "and I don't know what to even think about my father." She closes her eyes and shakes her head. "Or Maya. Or…" She hangs her head and a few tears stream down her cheeks. "Maybe I'm not okay," she finally confesses.

Rhodey lands nearby. "SHIELD's getting started on clean up." Rhodey glances sideways at Betty. "They've got Ross in custody. Along with the others," he says, but Tony ignores him and scoots closer to Betty. He pulls her into a hug. She can probably use it right now.

"I'm sorry," he tells her. "You risked your life to help save my ass today and," he sighs, "I was pretty horrible to you before. I should have listened to you. But I was…" He sighs again and goes for broke. "I guess I was a little threatened."

She laughs a little between her tears, the sound vibrating against his shoulder. "I noticed." She pulls back and gives him a thin smile. "But I understand," she says graciously. "I probably would have felt the same way in your shoes. I'm just glad you're okay. And hopefully Bruce will be now too."

"I still plan on doing whatever I can to keep it that way," Tony promises.

"I know," she says with a nod. Then she glances at Hulk. "I don't think he ever would have come back to me," she states with a small shake of her head, but then looks back at Tony carefully. "I accepted that a long time ago, but I admit it's better knowing if he found somebody else it's somebody like you, Tony."

"Thank you," Tony says genuinely. He stands and helps Betty up as well. "Let's get you to medical and get started on helping Maya."

"Natasha found one of Killian's thugs with a briefcase," Rhodey says. "It's full of blood samples. SHIELD is going to run analysis, but we think it's Steve's." That's a more than welcome relief considering they don't know yet what awaits when they open the one they have.

"How _is_ our fearless Captain?" Tony asks. "Did he seriously try to give himself up so Ross or Killian would let me go?"

"He did," Rhodey says. "And I was there so let me tell you it went bad fast. Something tells me you might want to stay on Sam's good side for a while. Don't push him any further. He's pretty shaken."

Tony furrows his brow. Then his eyes widen in surprise, all of the evidence and comments finally adding up. He's too tired to consider it now, but he'll be sure to analyze and rib later.

For now, he just smiles and says, "Well, how 'bout that." He looks up at Hulk, smiles, thinks of Bruce, and knows that even after all of this he still wouldn't go back and change anything that would have prevented him from falling in love with the physicist. "A silver lining."

***

When Bruce finally feels himself start to regain his own consciousness it feels like he's been gone for days. His flashes of memories as he climbs out of the darkness tell him it's only been several hours, the duration of the night at most. When he finally cracks open his eyes and focuses through the blur of non-use, he finds that he's lying on his side facing Tony.

"Tony?" A thrill of relief goes through him and he blinks several times. He cranes his neck to look around, recognizing they're in their bed at the tower. When he looks back again Tony's eyes are open and the engineer is smiling.

"Morning, gorgeous," Tony says and all of the pent up emotion from the past however many days it's been, he'd lost count in his distress, breaks inside of Bruce.

He starts to cry and sits up quickly in the bed, unable to even look at Tony because it's too overwhelming at the moment. It's far more overwhelming than it had been during the heat of battle the night before. Tony is alive and he's there and _he's_ gorgeous.

"You're okay," he chokes out. A small part of him remembers the team and all of their efforts to get Tony back to him safely. "The team? Are they… Is everyone okay?" Then he lets out another choked sob and repeats, "You're okay."

"I'm okay," Tony confirms and his weight is close beside him then, a hand soothing up and down and in circles along his naked back. "The team is too. Steve's a little worse for wear so Sam'll get to return the favor and be the overbearing nursemaid." Bruce snorts, combined with a hiccup and a few more remaining tears of relief. "Betty is an absolute champ. She's got some nasty burns here and there and probably a little bit of PTSD now, but she's a champ. And I'm not jealous," he adds as if that's important.

"Good," Bruce says, turning his head to look at him. A fresh wave of emotion overwhelms him and he drops his head trying to fight it back. "Because Betty isn't the one I thought I'd lost," he whispers hoarsely. "I'm so sorry, Tony. I should have been here for you."

"Hey," Tony says gently and nudges him, "stop beating yourself up about that. You and I have different things the other has to work with remember?" Bruce looks at him, remembering their conversation in the restaurant what feels like forever ago. "It's called a relationship."

Bruce eyes him in disbelief. "Are you sure you can still want that with me?" he asks earnestly and Tony's eyes widen. "I ran out on you. I don't deserve—"

Tony cuts him off with a kiss that can only be described as fierce. Bruce can't help but selfishly bask in it. Tony starts to pull away, but then chases his lips once and then again as if he can't get enough; Bruce really doesn't think he deserves it, but he never wants it to stop.

"We were caught in a shitty situation, Bruce," Tony says after a moment of them just looking at one another. "I lied. You ran. And it hurt like hell for both of us, I'm sure."

"More than that," Bruce says.

"That's how I know it doesn't matter," Tony declares. "We got through it and you're here so why would I want you to leave again? Of course I still want that with you. I want _everything_ with you, Bruce." Tony cups his cheek and smiles like he can't believe Bruce is real. "Nothing's changed. I love you."

Bruce feels his heart fill up with so much emotion, none of it anger, that he's certain it might explode. He captures Tony's lips this time, just as fiercely. He needs Tony, wants Tony, loves Tony and always will. He doesn't understand it. He doesn't understand the why or the how, he only knows that he's got another chance to be with this crazy, wonderful man who somehow needs, wants, loves him back so he's not going to tip-toe around his feelings anymore. Two halves of a whole this time.

"Say it again," Bruce pulls away just enough to entreat. "Say it. Please, Tony."

Tony smiles and Bruce re-familiarizes himself with the feeling of it. "I love you, Bruce. I love you."

"I thought I'd never hear those words again," Bruce admits with fresh tears in his eyes, happy tears this time he thinks. "I love you too, Tony. God, I love you," he repeats and presses his lips against Tony's again.

Bruce wants to be closer so with barely a break in contact he quickly moves so that he's straddling Tony's lap. Tony gives an appreciative moan and moves one hand to his waist while the other runs up the expanse of his back. The kiss isn't as hard as the others, but it's just as hungry. Bruce opens his mouth wide in invitation and the kiss slows, becomes something more leisurely as if they've just remembered the danger has passed for now and there's no rush.

Or at least that's how it should be, but there's a surprising albeit familiar clearing of a throat at the bedroom door. But for once Bruce doesn't give a damn who's watching because right now the only thing on his mind is kissing Tony until he's dizzy for oxygen. And Tony certainly doesn't seem inclined to break the kiss either, his tongue plunging even deeper in the way that makes Bruce moan and his eyes roll back just a little.

"Am I to assume this means you'll be perfectly fine with Fury keeping the part about your relationship in the new petition?" Phil asks with a teasing huff.

Bruce finally pulls away with a sigh. "Security breach," he says with a wry smile, since Tony had been insistent a security breach _neve_ r happen during the redesign and Pepper had shared why. He then pushes off and sits with one leg dangling off the side of the bed instead.

"That's an excellent point," Tony says with a shrewd look at Phil. "Why are you in our bedroom? How did you get in? JARVIS, why didn't you warn us?"

"You muted him apparently," Phil says.

"Oh yeah," Tony replies. "Unmute, J. And add a protocol to override the mute function when there's a security breach."

_Yes, sir._

"But the point was so that Bruce and I not be bothered. I think we earned a late morning after all that."

"We all did," Phil replies. "But Fury wants to move as quickly as possible on a new push for Hulk's protection in light of what's happened. There's been a lot of shaking up at SHIELD and in congress. Aldrich Killian had very deep pocketed sponsors in high places so we don't want to sit on this. He's scheduled a debrief," Phil looks at his watch, "in a little less than two hours."

Tony sighs. "Alright. That's worth getting up for I guess. How's Maya? Holding steady? And so this time we have a say in the petition?" he asks for clarification and Bruce joins him in his questioning look. "I mean, I might not be entirely adverse to telling the whole world once and for all that I'm in love with Bruce Banner and won't tolerate any interference, but-" Tony looks at him.

"We can discuss it," Bruce says and Tony's reaction is one of pleasant surprise.

"Dr. Ross indicated this morning that Maya is holding steady," Phil answers Tony's first question. Bruce furrows his eyes. He remembers Dr. Hansen fighting with Tony and Betty when he'd shown up and he has a faint memory of Betty trying to get Hulk to help her save Dr. Hansen for some reason or another. But there's definitely some missing pieces after that. "And for the petition, yes," Phil answers the other question. "You'll definitely have a say. And with Ross no longer an issue, we're hoping the blood won't be an issue either." Phil pauses and then looks at Tony. "Now, how are _you_ doing, Stark?"

Bruce's eyes widen. In his sheer relief and the moment between them he'd completely forgotten that Tony no longer has his arc reactor. He looks at him in worry.

"Are you okay, Tony? God, please tell me you're okay." He studies his face, glances down at his chest, and then back up to study his face again.

"I'm okay," Tony assures him, but glances down and rubs at the spot where the reactor used to be. "It's… weird. I'm going to have to get used to it not being there. And there's no way I'm giving up my suits, so don't anyone even suggest it. I'm still Iron Man." He lets out a small sigh and then holds open his hands to look at them. They begin to glow. "But after I worked on Maya to get her stable for now and left her with Betty for monitoring, I started some tests on myself. Bruce was still sleeping anyhow." He shrugs, letting his hands fall. "As far as I or JARVIS can tell the Extremis really _did_ take to my body like a charm. We'll continue to monitor it of course, but theoretically it looks like my DNA replicates at just the right intervals to keep the Extremis formula stable. No nasty glitch or other unwanted side effects imminent. And my heart's as good as new. Hell, even my liver got an upgrade I think," he says with a bark of laughter. Bruce is fairly certain he's joking, but he's still trying to wrap his mind around this Extremis thing in general. "I wonder if this will negatively affect my ability to stretch certain areas," he adds in a genuinely curious tone.

Bruce sighs and rolls his eyes, but can't help but smile fondly at the other man. Because he's Tony. And Bruce wouldn't have him any other way.

"SHIELD doesn't care about that," Phil says with a roll of his eyes and without any fondness. "But Fury will want to be kept updated on any important findings." Tony frowns and Bruce mirrors it. "It's an unknown, Stark. You essentially have a new super power if you can't or choose not to remove it from your system and-"

"Okay, okay," Tony flaps a hand in exasperation. "I'm sure I'm going to have this argument later with Fury. I really don't want to have to sit through it twice."

Phil raises his hands up just a little in a gesture of surrender. "Fine." He holds up his wrist higher. "Don't be late," he warns them and then leaves.

"I'm beginning to lose my ability to differentiate between him and Pepper," Tony says when they're alone again. "What does that mean?"

Bruce chuckles and shakes his head. "Something good, I'm sure." His eyes stray back to Tony's unmarked chest, but he doesn’t realize he's staring until Tony crosses his arms over the spot. He looks up to see a playful smirk on Tony's face.

"You're making me blush," Tony teases and lets his arms fall. "Don't tell me you only liked me for my arc reactor," he then says with a pout.

Bruce huffs and decides to play along. "Actually I was thinking you just _had_ to go and get a super power, huh? You just have to prove to Thor and Steve you can be a heavy hitter without a suit?"

Tony laughs. "Maybe. Or maybe I just needed to find a way to keep this sexy body hot for you, babe."

Bruce groans and lets his head fall back on his shoulders. "That was truly terrible," he tells him, and doesn't let himself get ahead of things thinking about a world where he doesn't have to worry as much about Tony's longevity compared to his own. "I'm going to take a shower," he says. "And then I might go order something from every single vendor in the building."

"Hey, Bruce," Tony stops him before he can go. He leans across the bed and his finger runs along that damned ticklish spot that makes Bruce squirm without fail.

"What?" Bruce tries to throw a glare over his shoulder at him for it.

Tony merely smiles in response. That bright, wide smile that Bruce fell in love with the moment it was directed at him, even if he hadn't realized it right away. He grabs Bruce's hand and places it on the space where his heart now beats uninhibited.

"I love you," Tony says and it steals Bruce's breath away.

He lets Tony pull him back onto the bed to show him just how much his heart beats for him and so he can show Tony how much his own heart beats.

"By the way," Tony states a few long moments later, between kisses, "while I was running my tests JARVIS mentioned he found another interesting Level 10 file." Bruce pulls away, bracketed over Tony, and looks down at him warily. "It was quite literally labeled something like Hypothetical IQ of Dr. Robert Bruce Banner." Bruce's eyes widen. "I didn't decrypt it, but-" Bruce frowns. "But you still don't want to know," Tony realizes. "I don't have to know to know, Bruce," he reminds him.

Bruce rolls his eyes and lets out a soft bark of laughter before leaning in. "Maybe so," he says, hovering just above Tony's lips, "but a little mystery in a relationship never hurt anyone, Tony."

"Oh, I see," Tony says in a teasing tone. "You're actually afraid I might be smarter. That it, Brucey? Because-"

"Hey, Tony," Bruce interrupts. Tony stops and lifts an eyebrow. Bruce sighs and closes the small space between them, mumbling against Tony's lips, "I love you too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ETA: Shoutout to Gassu for pointing out an something I missed in editing and meant to include. If you got to the end before the edit and are wondering, General Ross is in SHIELD's custody, explicitly stated now in the fic.
> 
> I'm sorry if after all this time this wasn't the conclusion you were looking for to this story, and I haven't even done much editing yet to it for continuity issues, but I DON'T WANT TO LOOK AT THIS THING ANOTHER MINUTE. It was mostly fun to write and is 97% the story I wanted to tell from the very beginning, but ack that last chapter. I solemnly swear that I want to play in barely-any-action non-powered AUs from now on and never ever do this again...
> 
> Should have probably mentioned this sooner, but Tony's sick childhood is inspired by Arno Stark. Similarly the Howard backstory was inspired by how he went to extreme measures to try and make Arno healthy. 
> 
> Half way through writing this chapter, someone at work was listening to [Say It Again](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKvyyK2AmPw) by Frances and I literally had a tunnel vision moment. At the time much of this story, especially as I was chugging along in this chapter and rereading the first two, was being powered by [Hand On Heart](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3vijeR0ZRs) by Olly Murs. But that to me was more my inspiration for Tony's side of things and then I heard Say It Again and just, it really clicked for me as Bruce's POV at various points in the story. Also in Chapter 1 Tony specifically asks Bruce to say "I love you" again and I had already planned on calling back to that at the end of this story so that made it so much more surreal. So shout out to both songs for helping me with this fic in the finishing stretch :)
> 
> This originally was going to have a fast forward scene at the very end. And I wrote two different ones. The first I wrote was from Harley's POV. It took place five months later with Bruce and Tony visiting the diner again, passing through on a road trip style honeymoon, having celebrated the petition for Hulk's safety being granted by eloping. And that's the point when Tony was going to bring up Bruce's IQ. The second one I wrote was much more elaborate and silly with a Pepper/Phil wedding being delayed on the day of because most of the wedding party plus the groom had to respond to an emergency. It had Bruce helping tactically because he didn't want to ruin the suit with a Hulk out and Pepper was with him, complaining how she had wanted to elope in the middle of the night because she just _knew_ this would happen and telling Tony she wants either a suit (shout out to Rescue) or an Extremis upgrade (shout out to IM3) so she can kick the villain's ass herself. It was going to show Tony using Extremis more seamlessly with his suit. Also there was going to be the reveal that he and Bruce have since gotten married as well. BUT both of these just felt too jarring for me and I decided I wanted to end with the more sentimental, here and now, moment with Tony and Bruce post-adventure and ready to take on the future together. Perhaps if I was a better writer, I'd have figured out a happy medium so there could be a little more closure (like explicitly what happens with the petition, a final scene with the whole team or with Sam and Steve, etc.) but like I said I don't want to look at this thing any longer to try and be that better writer.
> 
> Part of the 3% I wasn't planning on in this fic was the sudden assault of feelings I had for Betty and Maya as besties. (Or maybe more? I felt like I was implying more is possible, but my brain is fried so maybe I'm imagining things at this point.) Either way I'm sorry if that was random. Probably what I get for trash talking the bizarre relationship dynamics happening in the actual MCU right now. So, uh, yeah. Let there be crack?
> 
> In spite of my reservations, as always I hope everyone that read it at least enjoyed it a little bit. Thank you for all of your comments and kudos!


End file.
